NHL draft odds are ridiculously flat. You could go 0-82, and you'll still get less than 20% chance at the #1 overall pick. You don't want a team that has completely hollowed itself out and given up on any chance of competing. It's a stink in the locker room that isn't always easy to wash off.
Having a pretty good QB with a really good team around him is still a valid strategy to win the Super Bowl. Sure, it's better to have one of the greatest players of all-time at QB, but you could draft #1 overall multiple years in a row and it's still not guaranteed.
If the defender does something to "extend" the hit after the ball is in the air, I totally get it. This was a pretty quick tap, though; I don't think it makes sense to punish the D for something as quick as that. It looked like he did start the hit before the ball was out of Mahomes' hand.
So you can be hitting a guy, and the QB releases the ball, and then the thing you were already doing becomes illegal? According to Gene Steratore, yes.
Not guaranteeing a win, but this Bills team can punch back. I've watched a lot of years where it felt like one bad break would ruin their chances.
(Narrator voice: he waited until after the Bills went up 24-20 to post this)