The Kansas City Chiefs dropped a heartbreaker on Sunday, falling to the Buffalo Bills, 20-17, for their second loss in a row.
Here are some quick notes from the game.
1. The Chiefs' defense settled down to post another strong game.
Kansas City yielded touchdowns on back-to-back possessions early in the game, but after falling behind by 14 points, the Chiefs' defense surrendered just six points the rest of the game. That defensive effort forced three Buffalo drives that ended with punts in the second half, including two "three-and-out" possessions. It came in a losing effort, but the defense's ability to keep Kansas City in the game should be recognized.
The Chiefs remain the No. 3 scoring defense in the NFL (17.5 points allowed-per-game), as they've allowed more than 24 points in a game just once all season.
2. Kansas City's offense put together a resilient effort despite a slow start.
It takes both sides of the ball to mount a comeback, and despite a slow start, the Chiefs' offense managed to tie the game by outscoring Buffalo by a mark of 17-6 the rest of the way after falling behind by 14.
That stretch included touchdowns by tailback Jerick McKinnon and wide receiver Rashee Rice on back-to-back possessions between the second and third quarters, firmly wrestling momentum away from Buffalo while pulling within three points. The Chiefs then completed the comeback with a 27-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately for the Chiefs, they didn't score the rest of the game. Still, it was a resilient effort that gave Kansas City a chance in the end.
3. Rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice caught his sixth touchdown of the season.
Rice put together another strong game on Sunday, catching seven passes for 72 yards and a touchdown. His score – a 4-yard grab on third down – marked his sixth of the season, which ranks third in the NFL among all rookies.
The former second-round pick now has 59 catches for 663 yards on the year.
4. Rookie safety Chamarri Conner hauled in his first interception as a professional.
Conner made one of the defensive plays of the game on Sunday, picking off Bills' quarterback Josh Allen near midfield in the closing minutes of the second quarter. The play provided the Chiefs with tremendous field position that set up tailback Jerick McKinnon's touchdown a bit later.
The former fourth-round pick played a season-high 53 percent of the Chiefs' defensive snaps on Sunday, and he certainly didn't waste his opportunity. In fact, Conner earned the second-highest Pro Football Focus grade among all Chiefs defenders in the game.
5. A handful of miscues unfortunately got in the way of a Chiefs' victory on Sunday.
The Chiefs fought hard on Sunday, and it's impressive in its own right that they had an opportunity to win the game despite falling behind by 14 points, but it was unfortunately a handful of little things that got in the way of a victory. Those miscues included penalties at critical moments, two giveaways and a handful of drops, all of which combined to narrow the margin for error on Sunday night.
Despite the result, however, the Chiefs' goals are all still in front of them. Kansas City maintains control of its own destiny in the AFC West, and with a matchup against the New England Patriots on deck, the Chiefs will look to get back on track this upcoming Sunday.
