If anyone left the conclusion of the Kansas City Chiefs 3-21 loss to the Buffalo and were not convinced the best team on the field was the home team, you should re-watch the game. The AFC powerhouse Bills thrashed the Chiefs in every phase of the game, and in the end, they made the plays that Kansas City did not.
So much blame surrounds the Kansas City Chiefs’ loss. The tackles were bad, Mahomes struggled with the deep ball, the defensive secondary had its worst game of the season, and the front seven could not alter the outcome.
Add that to the suspect in-game plan adjustments by Head Coach Andy Reid and Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, and the recipe for a convincing Buffalo Bills win over the Chiefs was easy to predict.
In winning 30-21, the Chiefs now sit just one-half game ahead of the Bills for the top seed in the AFC. The Bills are off next Sunday, while the Chiefs travel to Carolina to face the Panthers. It should be a layup for Kansas City, but I’m not putting that game in the win column because of how this offense executes.
On Sunday in Orchard Park, the Chiefs continued to shoot themselves in the foot offensively. Even though Patrick Mahomes threw a trio of touchdowns, he missed a fourth over-throwing a deep pass to Xavier Worthy, which could have been a momentum changer. He threw two more interceptions, including on the game’s first drive.
Once again, tackles Jawaan Taylor and Wanya Morris struggled to protect Mahomes, and both were called for penalties at crucial times of the game. I’m not sure what Reid can do. He’s trusted Offensive Line Coach Andy Heck for over a decade in Kansas City and must be considered part of the problem.
For the first time this season, the Chiefs didn’t make enough adjustments defensively to compensate for the pocket presence or Josh Allen’s ability to turn a little into a lot. His game-winning touchdown run resulted from Spags’ lack of aggression on the fatal fourth-and-3 play and horrific tackling on Allen’s path to the end zone.
The Bills came into this game on a five-game winning streak. With their schedule approaching, they will be challenged to keep pace with Kansas City. Yet, they had all the answers offensively on Sunday.
Nazeeh Johnson and Chamarri Connor hurt their defense on Sunday. They missed tackles and had ill-advised penalties, and though Connor had an interception, leading the team in tackles wasn’t a good sign for the defense.
Further, Chris Jones, who has just three sacks in the last six games, didn’t get any down-on-the-ground pressure on Allen. George Karlaftis kept running around the tackle, leaving the gaps on the defensive line for Allen to run through. I don’t understand why our defensive ends don’t go inside the tackle and guard.
If we are going to make a big deal about this win, the Chiefs’ problem is that they didn’t have much fire on Sunday. The Bills, on the other hand, were lightning in the bottle. They stayed within their game plan on both sides of the ball and came out with the victory.
Listen, I never claimed the Chiefs were going to go undefeated this season, and with a loss to Buffalo, that nonsense can end. The Chiefs are now 0-3 when they enter a game with a 9-0 record.
Buffalo was the better team, and with a slim lead for the top spot, the Chiefs’ schedule going forward is very favorable. The Bills have some very tough games, but they have proven they have a deep resolve. Yes, their 9-2 record only includes two teams with winning records, but who cares?
We all know these teams will face off in the postseason, and generally, the team that loses in the regular season wins in the playoffs. However, that’s not a lock.
The good news is that Running Back Isiah Pacheco is back this week, and Charles Omenihu might play against the Las Vegas Raiders on Black Friday.
So, if you’re looking for a silver lining, the national media will praise the Bills and trash-talk the Chiefs. They’ll accurately point out that the Bills have the better quarterback and team, but they still need to beat the Chiefs in January.
Kansas City must regroup and use this game, much like they did last Christmas when the Raiders upset them at home. It’s time to reset their narrative as a Super Bowl team.
If they do, this game will have zero meaning for the rematch or the remainder of the season. We all know Kansas City will be in the AFC title game. Considering they lost to Buffalo on Sunday, where that game is played is still up for debate.
