Yet another regular season loss for the Kansas City Chiefs against the Buffalo Bills. Despite being the only undefeated team left in the NFL, the Chiefs could not beat the Bills in Buffalo, although it was a hard-fought game until the end.
Patrick Mahomes did not have his best game, again finding solace in his interception habits from the beginning of the season. On the other hand, Josh Allen had one of his best games of the season, even capping the day with a touchdown run. Due to this win, the Bills would hold the tiebreaker over the Chiefs in the playoffs. But when it comes to the playoffs, the Chiefs don't exactly care which seed they are.
The Quarterback Back and Forth
This game proved to be excellent in terms of quarterback play. With headliners like Allen and Mahomes, however, how could it be anything but exciting? In this matchup, Allen came out and took care of business.
While Allen's stats were not impressive, his ability to get away from Chiefs defenders set him apart. Both Allen and Mahomes finished the game with an interception (two for Mahomes).
Mahomes and Allen have one of the best rivalries in the current era of football. While Mahomes has dominated Allen in the playoffs, Allen has dominated Mahomes in the regular season. Only time will tell if the script stays the same this season or if Allen can finally get his revenge.
Quite the Opposite
For weeks now, Kansas City has cemented itself as the time of possession kings. Their offense was on the field significantly longer than any other team in the league, allowing their defense to sit out for longer periods and avoid getting worn down. However, Buffalo took a page out of their book in this game and emulated what they do best.
The Chiefs' defense was on the field for much longer than usual this game, and it proved to wear them down. The offense was only on the field for 25:57, which is their lowest time of possession since the week 1 win against the Baltimore Ravens. To compare, their highest time of possession was 40:42 in their one impressive offensive showing of the year against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Bills got the ball for nearly ten more minutes, with a total time of possession of 34:03. While it wasn't their highest of the season, it was precisely what the team needed to power past the Chiefs.
The Turnovers Need To Stop
Turnovers have been the biggest issue for the Kansas City offense throughout the season. Mahomes managed not to throw any interceptions for two straight weeks, but that stopped in this game. He threw two timely interceptions, giving the Bills the ball again and control of the game.
The Chiefs have only one game this season without a turnover. That game happened to be one in which the offense generated almost no momentum. The Chiefs would be a much better team if they were tighter on offense. Turnovers are the difference between a good team and a great team.
In the playoffs, this could mean a higher time of possession for the opposing team, as well as giving them more of a chance to score. While the Chiefs will not be able to improve for the playoffs, this will be a looming issue for quite some time.
What Does This Mean?
While this was the Chiefs' first loss, the loss has some pretty high implications. While this obviously does not hold much weight for how the playoff matchups happen, this matchup will affect the seeding.
Currently, the Bills are only one game behind the Chiefs for the only AFC playoff bye. With three of their remaining six games against the bottom-of-the-barrel AFC East teams (two against the New England Patriots and one against the New York Jets), the Bills only face one tough test against the Detroit Lions before the end of the season. The Chiefs will face a Los Angeles Chargers team that is on the upswing and the magical Pittsburgh Steelers before their season is up.
While the Chiefs will likely remain the favorites in the AFC, some looming questions remain. If the Chiefs can keep up the good work, there should be no question who the bye will belong to.
Up Next: Carolina Panthers
The good news for the Chiefs is that they will travel to play the Carolina Panthers next week after this loss. They will get a chance to redeem themselves against a 3-7 Panthers team that has had shaky quarterback play so far. I expect the Chiefs to come out swinging and prove they are still the best team in the league.
Final Score: Bills 30, Chiefs 21
Jones' Three Stars
1st Star - Noah Gray
4 receptions, 23 yards, 2 TDs
2nd Star - Xavier Worthy
4 receptions, 61 yards, 1 TD
3rd Star - Chamarri Conner
1 INT
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