The Kansas City Chiefs dropped another tough one on Sunday, falling to the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday Night Football.
Here are some quick notes from the loss.
1. He would have traded it for a victory, but it's worth noting that Tyreek Hill notched a personal milestone.
Hill continued to move up in the franchise record books on Sunday night, notching his 400th career reception. He did so in just 79 games and became the second-fastest player in team history to reach the mark. Only tight end Travis Kelce – who topped 400 grabs in 78 games – did it faster.
The speedy Hill is the sixth player in franchise history to record 400+ receptions and needs just six more grabs to pass Otis Taylor for the fourth-most catches in team history.
2. Mecole Hardman had a solid night.
Hardman hauled in nine catches for 76 yards on Sunday, which were his top marks of the season in both categories. His nine catches were a career-best.
Perhaps Hardman's most impressive play of the night was a 26-yard grab down the sideline in the closing seconds of the first half. It had already started to rain, but Hardman still managed to beat his man down the boundary and get both feet in bounds after securing the grab.
3. Big plays hurt the Chiefs early in the game.
It was explosive plays through the air that dug Kansas City an early hole. The Chiefs held a three-point lead at the 10:00 mark of the second quarter, but Buffalo went on to tally 17 unanswered points and build what turned out to be an insurmountable lead.
The two key plays in that stretch of scoring were a 35-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and a 53-yard scoring reception by tight end Dawson Knox, highlighting a trend of big plays in the first half. In fact, the Bills' tallied six plays that covered 20+ yards through the first two quarters of play.
Chiefs' safety Tyrann Mathieu spoke about his mindset following the game as the defense looks to limit the big plays moving forward.
"You try your best to set a good example. I feel like I can make more plays. Teams aren't going to let me make certain plays, but you have to take the bull by the horns sometimes," Mathieu said. "For me, it's all about continuing to lead these guys the right way. I think my emotion – my spirit – it can go left or right. It's important for me to push these guys in a positive direction. I know we still have a good football team. We are struggling right now but – like I mentioned earlier – it's a long season and I think we will be able to get it right."
For what it's worth, the defense forced the Bills to punt on each of their first three possessions of the second half.
4. Bills' quarterback Josh Allen was impressive.
Allen deserves credit for his performance on Sunday, as he completed 15-of-26 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. He also rushed for 59 yards and a score on the ground. The Chiefs got the better of Allen in each of their two meetings with him in 2020, but he put together an impressive game on Sunday night.
5. The Chiefs made some mistakes that were ultimately too much to overcome.
Kansas City turned the ball over four times on Sunday, hindering any chance of a comeback in the second half. It was an accumulation of miscues that contrasts with the brand of relative mistake-free football that this team has become known for in recent years.
"Those are things that frustrate you. You know that we can do better on turnovers, penalties, and big plays," said Head Coach Andy Reid following the game. "I know what we're capable of and I see that. We just have to get that done. As coaches and players, we've got to get that done."
The Chiefs will now look to get back on track next Sunday with a bout against the Washington Football Team.
