Chiefs report card: Below-average grades follow below-average afternoon in Buffalo
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Chiefs fell 28-21 in Buffalo after their offense stalled and trailed most game.
- Patrick Mahomes mounted late drives but could not overcome Josh Allen’s passing.
- Rashee Rice scored his first rushing TD; Chiefs head to Week 10 bye then Denver.
The Chiefs played from behind for most of Sunday afternoon’s game and couldn’t quite catch up in a 28-21 NFL Week 9 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium.
The Chiefs’ offense, so effective in recent weeks, bogged down for most of the evening. And Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen led the way with his passing.
The outcome makes it five straight regular-season victories for the Bills over the Chiefs, who have won all four playoff games in the series since 2020.
The Chiefs had a final chance Sunday, after the Bills missed a field goal, but Mahomes couldn’t work his so-often customary magic.
KC STAR OF THE GAME
Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice picked up the first rushing touchdown of his career and caught four passes for 80 yards, including a drive-saving 29-yard gain on a late fourth-and-17.
Next: The Chiefs get their bye in Week 10. Following the week off, they return to AFC West action with a trip to Denver. Kickoff for the game on Nov. 16 is 3:25 p.m. Central Time. It will air on CBS (Channel 5 in Kansas City).
REPORT CARD
Passing offense: C
Not until the end of the first half did the Chiefs get going.
Patrick Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for 20 and Hollywood Brown for 40 on successive plays to get to the 1-yard line, where the Chiefs settled for a field goal. But nothing came easily for the Chiefs all game against a defense that had been leaky this season.
Mahomes was under duress for much of the game and was sacked three times. This was a tough game for the offensive line with Jawaan Taylor leaving with ankle injury and Kingsley Suamataia leaving for a play with an injury.
But what a throw by Mahomes on the deep ball to Rice on a fourth-and-17 to keep alive the touchdown drive that pulled the Chiefs within a score. Mahomes finished 14 of 30 for 232 yards and an interception.
Rushing offense: C
No Isiah Pacheco was no problem for the Chiefs, especially early on as Kareem Hunt ripped off some big runs.
The Chiefs’ first touchdown came on a ground play, by Rice, who took the snap in the wildcat and went in untouched from the 3. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the third running back, got a couple of carries in his first game for the Chiefs since 2023.
Hunt led the way with 49 yards and a touchdown.
With the first-half success, should the Chiefs have attempted one more running play from the 1 in the final moments of the second quarter?
Passing defense: D
Josh Allen to the tight ends befuddled the Chiefs.
Allen found Dalton Kincaid for a 23-yard touchdown and two other long completions to tight ends were big plays on touchdown drives. Linebacker Drue Tranquill lost his footing on the Kincaid touchdown, but nobody could keep up with the Bills’ tight ends.
Allen was deadly accurate, completing 23 of 26 passes for 273 yards. The Chiefs gave themselves a chance with sacks on consecutive plays by Trent McDuffie and Leo Chenal, but Allen got the final word.
Rushing defense: C
NFL rushing leader James Cook became the first running back to surpass 100 yards against the Chiefs since 2023. He worked hard for his 113 yards, averaging 4.3 per carry.
Allen got a couple of shadow-of-the-goal-line touchdowns, but didn’t do the usual damage with his legs.
Special teams: B
Harrison Butker delivered his first multi field-goal game since Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens. Tyquan Thornton got moved into return specialist and got the Chiefs to the 40 with a nice return. Matt Araiza boomed a 60-yard punt in the third quarter.
This story was originally published November 2, 2025 at 6:35 PM.