Exorcising Demons: Bills Leap Chiefs; What's Next 'Ultimate' Test?
For 235 days, the Buffalo Bills had to deal with the sting from what transpired on Jan. 23. On Sunday in NFL Week 6, they "dealt'' with it just fine, with a 24-20 win at Kansas City.
Ah, but the memories ...
At the end of last year, 36-33 lead with 13 seconds left in the game for Buffalo fell by the wayside, and the Kansas City Chiefs came back to win 42-36 in the AFC divisional round.
On Sunday, yes, the Bills temporarily avenged their playoff loss to the Chiefs with a 24-20 win.
The win doesn’t erase the bad taste left in their mouth from January; indeed, QB Josh Allen is insisting that one game has nothing to do with the other.
Said Allen: “Nothing we did last year translates to what we're doing this year. What happened in the past, that's where it is. All we can do is focus on the next one. Today was the next one.”
Still, the implications of this win are something Buffalo will look back on at the end of the season.
How the Bills won the game is something that they won’t forget. Buffalo’s inability to get a defensive stop cost them against Kansas City in the playoffs. The Bills found themselves in the same situation, needing a stop on defense to cling onto their 24-20 lead with 1:04 left in the game.
This time, the Bills held on as an interception by Taron Johnson sealed the game.
The win also puts Buffalo ahead of Kansas City by two games in the AFC standings. Along with being 5-1 compared to Kansas City being 4-2, Buffalo also has the head-to-head advantage. Having the opportunity to play Kansas City at home in the playoffs could be the difference Buffalo needs to get over the hump.
Allen did what he does for Buffalo, completing 27 of his 40 passes for 329 yards and three touchdowns while also running and leaping for yardage. Stefon Diggs caught 10 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown. Gabriel Davis and Dawson Knox each also caught a touchdown for Buffalo. The Bills also showed signs of life on the ground, with Devin Singletary running for 85 yards on 17 carries.
The addition of Von Miller paid huge dividends, with two sacks. Kair Elam also came up big for Buffalo with an interception in the end zone in the first quarter.
For nearly nine months, Buffalo had to stew over blowing multiple late leads against Kansas City on Jan. 23. For the time being, they can put those nightmares to rest.
However, the ultimate validation and opportunity to overcome those demons will be in January, when they’ll likely see Kansas City once again.
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