Kansas City, Mo. – The Buffalo Bills must win this team. Not with a wave full of outstanding splatter games. Not playing Buffalo bills vs. Kansas City chiefs pointless minutes as the game clock wound down in the fourth quarter. It’s going to look like this — with Josh Allen trying to make big plays, wide receivers making big plays, and Von Miller breaking things while Patrick Mahomes looks to create the kind of magic he’s known for Good.
The Bills got the win they needed in Kansas City, beating the Chiefs 24-20 on Sunday afternoon. That they finally got the win says a lot more than the result itself. Three of Buffalo’s first four wins this season have come by an average of 30 points. Their odds against the Chiefs aren’t great, but it’s better for their long-term goals than that. The Bills are the best team in the NFL. If they still want to be able to say that at the end of the season (Buffalo bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs), they have to win a game like this against a team like this.
Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs
“I’m proud of how we played and how we fought tonight,” Allen said. “Obviously, we didn’t start the way we wanted, but the guys kept their heads down, they weren’t scared or blindsided, trusted the game plan, trusted the football situation, and got the W. That’s the only purpose we came here. Whether it’s one or 100, it’s another win, and that’s what we try to do every week.”
The start Allen referred to was a field-option jam on Buffalo’s first practice of the game. Chiefs linebacker Darius Harris picked up the ball at the Kansas City 11-yard line and ended the Bills’ first chance to send a direct message to the offensive end. This game could be an ominous sign of things to come for Bill. Instead, it became a reason to be more optimistic about what this team could be as they chase a Super Bowl victory.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills are outstanding when they beat their opponents, of course. However, their recent record in close matches has not been good. Since the start of last season, Buffalo has lost seven games in a row (including the playoffs) before their 23-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4. The most notable loss for the Bills this season was a massive 42-36 loss to the Chiefs in Kansas City in the Divisional Round of the playoffs last season.
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The Bills are outstanding when they beat their opponents, of course. However, their recent record in close matches has not been good. Since the start of last season, Buffalo has lost seven games in a row (including the playoffs) before their 23-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4. The most notable loss for the Bills this season was a massive 42-36 loss to the Chiefs in Kansas City in the Divisional Round of the playoffs last season.
Buffalo bills vs. Kansas City chiefs 2022
So yes – the Bills needed this win because it moved them to 5-1, keeping them in sole possession of the AFC East No. 1 point and giving them a point advantage when it comes to deciding if the AFC Championship. A game could be played at their stadium in late January.
But, this win should say a lot about Buffalo because of the optics. The playoff loss to Kansas City was upsetting as the Bills seemed to have the game in hand until the Chiefs miraculously tied the game with a field goal with just 13 seconds left in the game arrangement. The win didn’t clear the playoffs, but it went a long way to show that Buffalo is well-prepared to handle late-game situations against this opponent.
The most satisfying part of Sunday’s contest should be Buffalo seeing what they got in the offseason, Miller, Mahomes pressure to the point where the running back threw the game-winning touchdown to Bills cornerback Taron Johnson and what less than a minute left. “I know what happened today — we won,” said Miller, who finished with two sacks. “Everything else is a thing of the past. I guess my ignorance is bliss, and I haven’t seen it yet (the quest for redemption after a game break). These guys and I are not here to get through this game. But I’m here today, and I’ve seen these guys work all week and all season to be successful here.”
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The Bills added Miller to the team because they knew he could be the missing piece in their quest for a title. Mahomes has played them in back-to-back championships — the Chiefs beat Buffalo in the AFC championship during the 2020 season — and it’s essential for Buffalo to find a way to force it at a crucial time. Their backfield continued to develop, as the Bills’ offense showed on Sunday.
Allen provided several exciting moments, but his performance in clutch situations stood out in this tournament. Buffalo faced a 7-3 deficit late in the first half when Allen led his team on a 7-play, 96-yard drive in just 1:13 of the game. 34 yards to Gabe Davis gave Buffalo a lead that was just over. Mahomes put Kansas City in position for Harrison Butker to kick a game-record 62-yard field goal late in half.
Then the Bills trailed 20-17 when Allen got the ball with 5:31 left in regulation. This time, he completed a 12-play, 76-yard drive that ended with his 14th touchdown pass to tight end Dawson Knox with 1:04 left. Allen wasn’t ready to play these games regularly a few years ago. He did them late last season when it mattered, but Buffalo couldn’t stop Mahomes when it mattered most.
The best thing about how the Bills handled Sunday’s results is that they kept it the right way. They know there’s a good chance they need those kinds of playoff games, maybe against the Chiefs next season. “We’re trying to be playoff-caliber,” Allen said after passing for 329 yards and 3 touchdowns. “Every game is important in the NFL. It doesn’t matter if you are facing a 4-1 or 1-4 team. Every Sunday, Monday, or Thursday, any team can win when you are on the field. We are professional football players for a reason. Everyone is good. So we will reconsider next week.”
Allen admitted he doesn’t know who Buffalo will be next because the Bills had a good run before hosting Green Bay on Oct. 30. He admits he’s looking forward to some downtime, and golf or fishing might be in the plans.
Charges start any time the team expects, so a bit of fun will not be wrong. They know they are having more success now, and that will show when they play after the season. Allen did not say that this victory was sweeter than others because Buffalo won in Kansas City last October.
The game was a 38-20 victory, as explosive as the Rams’ offense in Game 1 this year and their 35-game win over the Steelers last week. Those who watched the victories became excited about what the Bills could have been at their best. There wasn’t the same kind of talk after Buffalo’s season ended in Kansas City last January.
The Bills have had a different vibe about them since Miller showed up. They openly talked about getting into the same name and did a lot of hard work to prove it. But what this team needs to understand better than any other is that competition doesn’t come easily. You will get them the hard way; it helps to have a lot of practice in this area.