The Chiefs and Bills squared off Sunday night in a much-anticipated showdown between two AFC powers. But it didn’t long to figure out the superior team, and even an hour-long weather delay at halftime couldn’t stop the inevitable at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs had no answer for the Buffalo Bills, who pounced early in the first quarter against an overmatched Chiefs defense and didn’t let up en route to a convincing 38-20 win.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen outdueled his counterpart, Patrick Mahomes, picking apart the Chiefs’ pass defense with 315 yards and three touchdowns. The Bills’ defense, meanwhile, limited the Chiefs to 13.5 points below their season average.
Sunday night’s matchup was a rematch of last year’s AFC championship game, and this game might have offered a preview of a postseason showdown ahead on the road to Super Bowl LVI.
The Chiefs, however, have miles to go before they can be thinking about the playoffs after dropping to 2-3, a full two games behind the AFC West-leading Los Angeles Chargers (4-1). Buffalo improved to 4-1 and secured the heads-up tiebreaker, if it comes to that.
TURNOVERS (AGAIN)
During the Chiefs’ two-game losing streak, the offense amassed six turnovers. They cleaned up their act in beating the Eagles a week ago, accounting for just one. Sunday night, however, the Chiefs again suffered through self-inflicted wounds.
Byron Pringle lost a fumble on a kickoff return and Mahomes threw a pick-six in the third quarter. Mahomes threw another interception deep in Bills territory to kill a potential scoring drive and lost a fumble late in the fourth quarter.
The superstar quarterback now has an interception in four straight games, totaling six picks over that span. The turnovers only punctuated the Chiefs’ inefficiency on offense. A week after scoring a touchdown on six of their first seven possessions against the Eagles, the Chiefs found the going tougher against the Bills’ defense.
Buffalo entered the game ranked first in total defense (216.8 yards allowed per game), and the Chiefs never found any real momentum. Kansas City scored two touchdowns and two field goals. Mahomes completed 33 of a career-high 54 pass-attempts for 272 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions: a 70.9 passer rating.
GROUND GAME STALLS
Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire had totaled 202 yards rushing on 31 carries over the past two games, but he was an apparent afterthought against Buffalo. Sure, the Bills entered the game ranked fourth against the run, allowing 68 yards per game. But the Chiefs as a team topped 100 yards, rushing with Edwards-Helaire gaining 13 yards on just seven carries before leaving in the third quarter with an injury. Mahomes led the Chiefs in rushing with 61 yards on seven carries, while Darrel Williams chipped in 27 yards on five carries.
GORDON MAKES APPEARANCE
Wide receiver Josh Gordon, elevated from the K.C. practice squad last week, made his first game appearance in a Chiefs uniform. But for all the hype surrounding his arrival in the past week, his contribution against the Bills was minimal. The Chiefs appeared to limit Gordon’s playing time to specific personnel groupings. He did, however, come up with a first-down catch for 11 yards, his lone reception on the game.
INJURIES
Edwards-Helaire suffered a knee injury in the third quarter and did not return.
INACTIVES
Defensive end Chris Jones (wrist), cornerback Charvarius Ward (quad), guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, center Austin Blythe, wide receiver Darius Fountain and rookie tight end Noah Gray were not dressed for the game.
UP NEXT
The Chiefs are on the road in Week 6 to face the Washington Football Team.
