The Kansas City Chiefs hoped to turn their luck around in Buffalo, but it was clear early in their yearly rivalry that the Bills were the better team, pushing KC out of the playoff race with a 28-21 victory.
I can’t figure out why the Kansas City Chiefs have suddenly become a weak road team. Once again, the defense allowed an opening drive touchdown, the offense didn’t get going until the second quarter, and the coaching was very questionable throughout the game.
With that said, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was exceptional. He tore up the Chiefs’ defense by completing 23 of 26 passes, throwing one touchdown, and running for two more scores. Running back James Cook gained 114 yards on 27 carries, and although he averaged four yards per carry, he was their main workhorse.
Chiefs’ defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, didn’t put up much resistance against the Bills’ offensive attack. Too often, he sent four men rushing in obvious passing situations, which allowed Allen to have a clean pocket.
On offense, Patrick Mahomes was out of sync for much of the game. Yes, he made some big passing plays, including converting a fourth-and-forever pass to Rashee Rice, but too often he wasn’t patient enough, nor did he scramble to avoid the Bills’ constant pressure.
He only completed 15 of 34 passes for 250 yards and no touchdowns. His failure to score near the goal line at the end of the second half left four points on the board, which could have allowed Kansas City to attempt a long field goal late in the game to force overtime.
Currently, with the Jacksonville Jaguars’ overtime win over the struggling Las Vegas Raiders, the Kansas City Chiefs are out of the playoffs. With the Bye Week coming up, the Chiefs are 5-4 and will be scoreboard watching next weekend.
It’s still early, but Mahomes mentioned after the game that this team might need to run the table. What this loss does for Kansas City is give them two weeks before playing the Broncos in Denver. If they lose that game, we might have a different conversation about the Chiefs’ playoff chances.
The Broncos and the Chargers are ahead of the Chiefs, both of whom won Sunday, which will force Kansas City to play with a renewed sense of urgency.
As usual in a loss like this, the Bills exposed the Chiefs’ inability to pressure the quarterback and couldn’t cover any of the tight ends Buffalo put on the field Sunday. The fact that the Bills’ offense was very predictable, but Kansas City never made the necessary adjustments, nor did they get enough out of Chris Jones. He needs help to be effective, and Spags needed to bring far more pressure.
On offense, the lack of a running attack and the offensive line’s inability to provide Mahomes with a clean pocket hurt the team. Jawaan Taylor twisted his ankle and exited the game in the fourth quarter. Wanya Morris was penalized significantly on the Chiefs’ second-to-last drive. Additionally, Jaylon Moore had a tough game, often beaten by Joey Bosa, who was outstanding every snap.
The Chiefs must take a long look at themselves during the Bye Week, and to a man, they need to regain their focus, because a brutal stretch is coming up. With the Bills’ loss, winning at Denver is now paramount.
Lastly, this team needs to get Josh Simmons back on the field. He’s still the team’s best left tackle, and I argue the gap between him and Moore is enough to cause concern that if Simmons misses any more games, this offensive line might take a step back.
The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, and the Chiefs could shore up positions of need at running back and pass rusher, so there is hope he can help his roster for the final eight regular-season games. They could certainly bolster their offense by acquiring New York Jets Running Back Breece Hall.
However, based on their performance against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Brett Veach might need to pull several Rabbits out of his magical hat!
