Four Takeaways From the KC Chiefs' 20-17 Loss to the Buffalo Bills
When the NFL schedule features a Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills matchup, the football world naturally expects a playoff environment. That's exactly what existed at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 14, as Andy Reid's club hosted a post-bye week Bills squad in a battle between two teams hungry for wins.
Things got started a bit slow for the home squad, with the visitors generating some momentum early. Things eventually got tied up at 17 all in the fourth quarter, setting the scene for yet another classic final frame for both sides. Following a late field goal by the Bills, the Chiefs were given a chance to drive down the field and tie or take the lead. Kansas City couldn't get the job done, however, losing by a final score of 20-17.
Here are four takeaways from Sunday's game.
Another week, another double-digit deficit to start
In years past, the Chiefs going down by 10 or more points wasn't anything to be concerned about. Even while fielding a lesser defense compared to this year's unit, the offense was capable of overcoming almost any adversity sent its way. This year, though, the combination of lackluster personnel and a ton of self-inflicted mistakes makes scoring difficult. Being down big puts plenty of pressure on Patrick Mahomes and company to be nearly perfect, and that simply isn't what the offense has been this year at times. Those deficits have been glaring developments to keep an eye on this year.
Kansas City started slow once again by killing its first four drives which resulted in a turnover and three punts in a row. That allowed Buffalo to build a 14-0 lead, although it was cut into by the end of the first half. The Chiefs battled back and avoided letting the Bills run away with things in the opening half, but digging themselves into a hole that big isn't an ideal formula to be repeated. (Yes, even with Patrick Mahomes having a winning record in those scenarios.) Reid's team has to start with more urgency and fewer mistakes if it wants to have more consistency.
Speaking of mistakes, there were plenty of them
Those aforementioned first four offensive drives didn't give the Chiefs much of a chance at establishing their footing in the first half. They came by way of a tipped-ball interception, a late-down sack, back-to-back wide receiver miscues (a route-related issue and a false start) and a dropped pass. In the third quarter, rookie wideout Rashee Rice fumbled the ball near midfield and gave possession back to the Bills. On the final offensive possession of the game, Kadarius Toney's touchdown was wiped out because he didn't line up correctly pre-snap.
Mistakes weren't just on the offensive side, either. On Buffalo's first touchdown of the afternoon, a motion late in the play clock caught Kansas City out of position and a score from James Cook happened right up the seam between safety Mike Edwards and linebacker Nick Bolton. On their third drive, no one backed linebacker Willie Gay Jr. after he pressed Cook near the line of scrimmage and he gained 27 yards through the air. Another infraction was an illegal contact flag against cornerback Jaylen Watson late in the fourth quarter. No team will ever play a flawless game, but there was a sizable handful of plays in Sunday's game that made life more taxing on the losing club.
The Chiefs find themselves at less than 100% in multiple regards
Coming into Week 14, the Chiefs had ruled out four players due to injury: running back Isiah Pacheco, offensive tackle Donovan Smith, safety Bryan Cook (injured reserve) and linebacker Drue Tranquill. On Sunday, safety Justin Reid left the game with an injury on two separate occasions and others got nicked up over the course of the outing. From a physical health standpoint, Kansas City isn't doing too well late in the season.
Emotionally, this stretch of play has to be challenging for the team as well. This level of incompetence and struggle isn't synonymous with a Reid-led team, let alone one with Mahomes under center. The Chiefs have talked in recent days and weeks about needing to stay together and persevere, and those tasks are becoming more and more challenging. Simply put, this team has some soul-searching to do if it wants to make a serious playoff run.
Assessing the game's impact on the AFC playoff picture
Entering Week 13's contest against the Green Bay Packers, all the talk was about how the Chiefs could jump back into the conference driver's seat in the conference playoff picture with a win. Following that loss, the focus shifted to just staying in the thick of the race for the one-seed. On the other side of the field, Buffalo desperately needed a Week 14 victory to keep its postseason hopes (realistically) alive. Sean McDermott's team got just that, putting Kansas City in a precarious position in the process.
With the loss, the Chiefs have dropped four of their last six games after starting the season with a 6-1 record. On top of that, the Denver Broncos' win over the Los Angeles Chargers puts them just one game out of tying for the AFC West lead. Not only do the Chiefs face a significant uphill battle to luck into the one-seed, but they must now face the reality of needing to take care of business within their own division. The last month-plus of play puts a new set of circumstances on Mahomes and company, which not many expected.
