The Kansas City Chiefs fell to the Buffalo Bills, 30-21, for their first loss of the 2024 campaign on Sunday afternoon.
Leading by two points and facing a fourth down with just over two minutes remaining in the game, the Bills elected to roll the dice and go for it rather than attempting a chip-shot field goal. It was a gamble for Buffalo, which risked giving Kansas City the ball and a chance to win the game. It paid off, however, with a 26-yard touchdown scramble by quarterback Josh Allen, which pushed the Bills' lead to nine points and essentially sealed the victory for Buffalo.
"They made plays when they needed to," said Head Coach Andy Reid. "It's a great game to learn from for some of our young guys. When two good teams play each other, the margin between winning and losing is small. That starts with me, and we can all learn from it and take something out of this. It will make us better down the road."
The game marked yet another back-and-forth battle between the Chiefs and Bills as both teams wrestled the lead from one another throughout the first half. The Bills opened the scoring with a 3-yard touchdown run by tailback James Cook, but the Chiefs quickly responded with an 11-play, 88-yard drive that ended with a 10-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Xavier Worthy.
The touchdown was a fitting conclusion to the drive for Worthy, who caught four passes for 61 yards on that series alone.
Kansas City then pulled ahead following a successful extra-point try after Buffalo missed its first attempt, but the Bills responded with another scoring series that reclaimed the lead on their ensuing drive. Buffalo looked poised to add to its advantage a series later, too, but safety Chamarri Conner picked off Allen on a fourth-down throw in Chiefs' territory, flipping possession and the momentum of the game in Kansas City's favor.
The Chiefs then made sure to cash in on the takeaway when quarterback Patrick Mahomes found tight end Noah Gray for a 2-yard touchdown soon after, once again pushing Kansas City back in front.
Buffalo added a field goal prior to halftime, however, and despite two consecutive defensive stops for Kansas City to open the second half, the Bills broke through on their third possession with a 61-yard touchdown drive that pushed Buffalo's advantage to nine points early in the fourth quarter.
The Chiefs didn't go away though, as Mahomes found Gray yet again – this time for a 1-yard score – on the Chiefs' next series, setting up Allen's fateful fourth-down run on the Bills' ensuing possession that ultimately decided the game.
A defensive stop would have meant a chance for Kansas City to go down and win the game, but Allen instead managed to break free and find the end zone, sealing the victory for Buffalo.
"You can use it as fuel," Mahomes said. "We feel like we can play better, so we'll get back to work and try to use this as a spark so that we can be a better football team in the end."
In terms of injuries, defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah (hand) was the only player Coach Reid mentioned following the game, although he noted that Anudike-Uzomah returned to the game.
The Chiefs will now aim to turn the page and get back on track next weekend with a matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
