Five things that stood out about the Chiefs’ loss to the Bills in Buffalo
Give the regular-season round to the Bills.
Again.
The Chiefs’ trip to Buffalo concluded much like their visit a year earlier, KC departing with a 28-21 loss in a game they spent chasing the entire second half.
Here are five observations from immediately after the game:
1. The protection
The return of Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice covered up the primary reason for the Chiefs’ offensive turnaround:
The offensive line.
The best offensive showing for the Chiefs in at least three years derived not strictly from the weapons, but the opportunity to throw to them.
Patrick Mahomes operated without that opportunity Sunday.
He most certainly didn’t have his best day, but on top of that, he also had one of his most painful. Jaylon Moore, Trey Smith, Jawaan Taylor and even substitute Wanya Morris allowed multiple pressures, per PFF’s preliminary data.
The Chiefs had a crease of a chance in the fourth quarter, but Mahomes was forced to rush a third-down throw after Joey Bosa cruised past Morris, and Mahomes fired deep for an interception.
He played like he expected the rush. He was bailing even on clean pockets because, well, the rest of the game had suggested he’d probably need to bail.
At one point, per PFF live data, Mahomes had completed 2 of 11 passes while under pressure. And that pressure came without the Bills even blitzing much.
2. A rough night for the defense
The Bills compiled multiple first downs on seven possessions, including all four in the second half.
That second part is particularly notable: The Chiefs had the fifth-best second-half defense in the NFL.
The problem? The Bills still had options in the arsenal after halftime.
They had a clear game plan, the same game plan as Washington introduced in the first half a week earlier: Target the tight ends and running backs.
Or, said simpler: Stay away from Chiefs corners.
The Bills put the Chiefs linebackers in the spin cycles, targeting Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox and even third tight end Jackson Hawes. That duo combined for five catches, 123 yards and a touchdown in the first half alone. Kincaid finished with more than 100 yards in the game.
There’s a reason that should work regularly for the Bills. They run the ball more frequently than any team in the league, forcing the linebackers to keep their eyes in the backfield. And that’s where they turned in the second half. James Cook is the first running back to reach 100 yards against the Chiefs this season.
It all made for a particularly tough day for Drue Tranquill, too frequently left isolated in coverage.
3. End of half
The Chiefs did well to ensure they pulled within eight points — one possession — before halftime.
It could’ve been closer.
You knew I’d have some thoughts on this one, right?
Andy Reid opted for a last-second field goal from the 1-yard line rather than leaving the offense on the field.
A rare case of him opting for the passive choice this year.
The Chiefs have the cheat code on late down short yardage: Kareem Hunt. He was 18 of 20 on 3rd or 4th and short at that point, and Reid has ridden that frequently.
Yes, I know the Chiefs ran Hunt on first down from the 1 in that same sequence, and it failed. But this has always been about probabilities, not certainties, and the probability is the Chiefs convert.
In fact, I’ll leave this with another probability stat: The ESPN Analytics model considered it a 5.2% better win probability to leave the offense on the field.
4. Rashee Rice. All the positions
The Chiefs have shifted their No. 1 receiver into a new spot: the backfield.
It’s not a trick play.
Rice occupied the wildcat quarterback spot for a 3-yard touchdown run — the same position he occupied a week earlier on a goal-to-go run that reached the half-yard line.
There’s a reason the Chiefs like Rice there. He can run between the tackles. In fact, he hits the gaps more quickly than any running back on the roster. Which, yes, is commentary on all of the above.
They put Rice at quarterback. They swung him through the backfield after the snap. They put him in the slot. They used him on the outside.
Productive, everywhere.
Rice had four catches for 80 yards, in addition to the rushing touchdown. He converted 4th-and-17, the longest fourth-down conversion in Patrick Mahomes’ career.
It’s yet more evidence: The Chiefs are rolling their offense through Rice.
Well, when the protection allows.
5. The AFC playoff picture
If you want to point to the last half-decade as evidence the regular season matchup between these two teams doesn’t much matter, I won’t argue.
Except for one thing: The Chiefs’ path to the No. 1 seed just became really difficult.
The Broncos came back to beat the Texans earlier in the day, which leaves the Chiefs two losses shy of first place in the AFC West. They do get two more shots at the Broncos, but they don’t get the Bills again, and they’re now playing catch-up in a race that requires them to run a longer distance.
Entering the week, the Chiefs had the 10th hardest schedule remaining, and the Bills had the eighth easiest. The Bills will have one of the five easiest schedules remaining now that the Chiefs week has passed.
The Chiefs have the Broncos and Colts on the other side of the bye.
This story was originally published November 2, 2025 at 6:29 PM.