Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Bills got back into the win column in an emotionally charged 20-17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs this past Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
Another tight game between the Bills and Chiefs ended with complaining from one team, and major relief for another team looking to save a chaotic season.
Let’s break down the game and the elements that went into Buffalo's victory:
Passing offense: C+
It took three weeks and a very stout Kansas City defense to see some of the inconsistencies of the Bills offense appear again.
Early on, Josh Allen and company were humming along with the Bills really hurting the Chiefs with wheel route concepts and a lot of James Cook in the passing game. However, the offense sputtered, starting with an interception before halftime that extended Allen’s turnover streak.
The Bills only scored six points in the entire second half.
The wide receiver group is struggling, a lot.
Stefon Diggs has had his worst month of production as a member of the Bills. Khalil Shakir had his snaps reduced, and suffered on the stat sheet as well. Gabe Davis, once again, served up some donuts on the stat sheet. Allen had Davis open for a touchdown late, but it’s hard to see ghosts.
Dawson Knox was solid in his return, while Dalton Kincaid was able to chime in with five catches.
The offensive line had one of their toughest games, but the interior has often struggled with Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, who had three hits on Allen alone.
All-in-all, if the Bills want to succeed in their improbable run back to the postseason, they’ll need more consistency.
Rushing offense: B-
Keep giving Cook the football. Through the air, on the ground, give Cook more touches. And in this game, the Bills did just that.
Cook averaged 5.8 yards per-carry on Sunday, while torching linebackers through the air as well. No carry went for more than 15 yards, but the team averaged 4.2 yards per-touch on the ground.
That helps tell the tale of how much better the offensive line has gotten in run-blocking this season. It also helps tell the tale of how Buffalo finally got the upgrade at running back they have needed for several years.
Ty Johnson is quietly becoming a valuable add from the New York Jets earlier this season.
Buffalo could have done a lot more damage on the ground in the fourth quarter, but some untimely penalties forced their hand.
Passing defense: C+
Ed Oliver bleeping rules.
At his current rate of playmaking, Oliver could end up making his new contract turn into a bargain. Oliver had 0.5 sacks, a quarterback hit and a crucial batted pass on the defense’s second-to-last play of the game.
Von Miller finally made a pair of noteworthy plays, with two quarterback hits.
The team hit Mahomes eight times and added one sack.
Buffalo will need to hope for the best with A.J. Epenesa, who left the game early due to a rib injury.
The secondary was solid, overall. Travis Kelce did torment the Buffalo defense again, including the lateral play to Kadarius Toney that did not count, but the rest of the Chiefs failed to help elevate their offense.
Part of that was from the incompetence of the Chiefs' receivers, the other part comes from timely plays by the defense.
Rushing defense: C
The Chiefs were efficient in the running game to the point that Buffalo was struggling most times to contain it. Luckily for the Bills, Kansas City ran it only 18 times.
It was a struggle for the Bills against the run, as the Chiefs were averaging 4.6 yards per-carry, with the longest run being an end-around for 14 yards. If the Chiefs wanted to, they could have run on the Bills' banged-up defensive front and taken advantage.
That touchdown allowed to Jerick McKinnon saw Oliver as the only lineman with a good push, while poor Jordan Phillips got launched from the point of attack.
The defensive tackles not named Oliver need to step up in a big way. Luckily, the Bills didn’t face enough of a run game for it to hurt them.
Special teams: D
The punt coverage team has not been good all year. This game proved more of the same.
Rashee Rice averaged 16.3 yards per-return on three returns on Sunday The shortest return was when Siran Neal launched the ball back toward Rice while trying to pin the Chiefs deep in their own territory.
If Ken Dorsey being let go in-season was in play, it should be the same for special teams coordinator Matthew Smiley. The Bills dedicate several roster spots to special teams players, and there are weekly gaffes by the special teams unit.
Buffalo needs a new face leading this unit next season, full stop.
Coaching: B
A tumultuous week for head coach Sean McDermott led to a literal sigh of relief on the sideline.
After almost losing in the dumbest way possible (only to be outdone by the very player that scored), the Bills held on to win while defending the lead with two minutes left.
Think about it, the New England Patriots succeeded where the Chiefs failed. That, alone, should be enough evidence to say this year is on drugs.
Anyway, back to the coach.
It was not an easy week for McDermott, including having to deal with a bizarre story he never expected to hear about again. While I, like many others, have been a critic of McDermott all season long, credit goes where it is due. This was not an easy situation for a coach who has caught some heat for Buffalo’s failures this season.
That said, let’s revisit the play that didn’t count.
The Bills let up another big play while going all out on another blitz in the two-minute situation. They’re lucky Toney has had a penchant for losing games for the Chiefs this year.
The Bills cannot keep blitzing like this. It has hurt them more than it has helped this season.
What's next:
The Bills will face their final non-conference opponent for the season on Sunday when they host the NFC East-leading Dallas Cowboys at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. Buffalo has improved their playoff odds from 15% to 49% in just one week.
Kickoff is slated for 4:25 p.m. EST on Sunday with pregame coverage starting at 11 a.m. EST on the official voice of the Bills - WGR Sports Radio 550.
