Over the last six years, the Kansas City Chiefs have been the major nemesis of the Buffalo Bills. They always stood in their way in taking the next step — whether it be to the AFC Championship game or Super Bowl.

But the Chiefs, who had been to the last three Super Bowls, winning two, looked a lot like the Bills of 1994. That Buffalo team was coming off of being at four straight Super Bowls, losing each one.

That Drive for Five season was about as disappointing for the Bills as this year’s Chiefs campaign has been for that team and its fans. Adding insult was the injury to quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who will miss the remainder of the season.

Quarterback Jim Kelly was in the same situation in 1994. While the team was battling to make the playoffs, he was injured in a home loss to the Minnesota Vikings toward the end of the year and did not play again that year.

Simply put, both the Bills and Chiefs — after amazing runs — ran out of steam. The toll to show up and play your best every game over a long stretch always takes a toll. No matter how you look at it, both those teams were champions.

There is one bit of good news for Bills fans in the Chiefs’ troubling season. They know Kansas City will not make it to the Super Bowl this year. That means Buffalo remains the only team — for now — to reach the big game four years in a row.

At this point, even with the great New England Patriot teams, that has never been matched.