Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - To quote head coach Sean McDermott from the Buffalo Bills locker room shortly after his team's huge 24-20 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday: "That was a hell of a [bleeping] win!"
Only he didn't say bleeping. He didn't even say fudge. If you've ever seen the movie "A Christmas Story", then you get that reference.
McDermott was fired up as he shouted that and handed out game balls, and he should be.
The Bills overcame some adversity to beat the other best team in the league (with the Bills), put themselves atop the AFC and wrapped up a head-to-head, tie-breaker edge for, what might be, home field advantage in the conference playoffs this winter.
So how did the Bills get this big win?
For one, their stars played like stars. Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and Von Miller were all magnificent, as the Bills start 5-1 for the second time in the last four seasons.
I think Allen was a little rattled by the Chiefs' blitzes early in the game. According to The Buffalo News, Allen was 0-for-7 on the first seven blitzes from the Chiefs defense. There were incomplete passes on three-straight plays from the Chiefs' three-yard line, and on each play the blitz was disruptive.
But Allen and company began beating those blitzes during a 96-yard touchdown drive late in the first half.
Among the many big plays from No. 17, there was a 3rd-and-13 from the Bills' one-yard line where Allen connected on an 18-yard pass to Gabe Davis. On that same drive, Allen beat the blitz for a 15-yard pass to Khalil Shakir.
On the 34-yard touchdown toss to Davis, the Chiefs sent seven pass rushers, but Allen made them pay as he targeted Davis, who had a 1-on-1 matchup against rookie cornerback Joshua Williams.
Allen's third quarter touchdown pass to Diggs saw the Bills quarterback, again, making Kansas City pay for blitzing. The Chiefs left Diggs in single coverage against Williams, and Allen dropped a perfectly placed 17-yard pass into his No. 1 wide receiver's hands.
In the fourth quarter on, what turned out to be, the game-winning touchdown drive, Allen made a handful of key plays.
Allen had a successful quarterback sneak on a 4th-and-inches. He beat the blitz on 3rd-and-2 with an 11-yard completion to Diggs. He zipped an 18-yard pass to Diggs in a tight window. Allen even leaped over a defender (again) on a 16-yard run.
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The drive was capped off with Allen firing a perfect 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dawson Knox near the sideline in the end zone.
I've mentioned his name plenty already, but Diggs had himself a day. Perhaps that's because the Chiefs focused more on Davis after what he did to them in the playoffs last season.
Diggs finished the day with 10 catches on 13 targets for 148 yards and a touchdown. His 49 receptions through the first six games of the season is a Bills record. It's also his seventh game of 10 or more catches with the Bills, which is also a franchise record.
As for Miller, he was brought in to be the closer, and he was exactly that on Sunday.
The veteran pass rusher came up with key plays on each of the Chiefs' three drives in the fourth quarter. He tripped up Patrick Mahomes on a scramble that forced Kansas City to settle for a field goal. On the next series, his sack on 3rd-and-6 finished off a three-and-out by the Bills defense. Then on the game-sealing interception by Taron Johnson, Miller split a double team, flushed Mahomes out of the pocket and threw off the timing on that play.
The Bills are all by themselves atop the AFC. What a great way to go into the bye week.
