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It's tough to go undefeated in the NFL. The Kansas City Chiefs found that out the hard way in Week 11 thanks to the Buffalo Bills, who beat them 31-20 and handed them their first loss of the 2024 season.
Beating the Chiefs is a big deal for Buffalo, but the way this one went down was epic. There was a postseason feel to the game considering the stakes. The Bills are now 9-2, which is the team's best start since 1992. The Chiefs fall to 9-1, so this is a win that could literally play a role in the race for the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC Playoffs.
Speaking of playoffs, the Bills 4-1 against the Chiefs in the Josh Allen era, but that's during the regular season. They're 0-3 against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the playoffs, so the fight for home-field advantage is going to be crucial this season. Also, winning a playoff-like game in mid-November against KC could go a long way toward giving this Bills team the spark it needs to finish the season strong.
In all ways, the importance of this win for Buffalo can't be understated. It was an epic win, and these three players were the game's stars.
Josh Allen's TD run heard around the NFL world
This moment was the one that won it for the Bills. The actual moment itself was massive. It was fourth-and-two from the Chiefs' 26-yard line and holding on to a slim two-point lead, Bills head coach Sean McDermott decided to keep Allen and the offense in the game rather than try for a field goal to go up just five.
Allen took the snap, faked a pass to his right and then immediately decided that his best option to pick up the first was to tuck it and run. And that's exactly what he did and then some, as he evaded multiple Chiefs defenders and then ran over a few more as he rumbled for an ice-cold 26-yard touchdown.
After the game, one of Buffalo's newest players, veteran wideout Amari Cooper, put the play in perspective.
“The Josh Allen experience, with this magnitude, has been phenomenal, man,” Cooper said. “… He's a great player. The old adage, big-time players make big-time plays in big-time situations, and that's exactly what he did.”
That's the play that's going to make all the highlight reels and it's absolutely going to be remembered as one of Allen's best when he hangs up his cleats. It was the second-longest touchdown run of his career, and the most incredible thing is that NFL Next Gen Stats gave it only a 1.2% chance of scoring.
Don't tell that to tight end Dawson Knox, though.
“As soon as I saw him get past the line of scrimmage, I kind of knew he was scoring,” Knox said “And even though there's a linebacker, two DBs right in front of him, I've seen it a hundred times from him in the most important situations, he seems to do that all the time and it's incredible to watch.”
Terrel Bernard was everywhere for the Bills
Allen won the game for the Bills with his heroic touchdown scamper, but middle linebacker Terrel Bernard iced it for Buffalo when he picked off Mahomes on Kansas City's last gasp. It was fourth-and-13 from the KC 38 and with 1:17 to go, Mahomes was looking for a little Allen-esque magic himself. If there's anyone who can come back from down nine with under 90 seconds to go, it would be him.
Mahomes never got a chance to pull off the miracle, though. He had Travis Kelce open between the seams and downfield but Bernard made an awesome play to dive at the football and pick it off right before Kelce was able to get his hands on it.
Not only that, but Bernard led the team in tackles against Kansas City with eight, and he also notched a sack, a tackle for loss, a pass defended and a quarterback hit.
Simply put, he was everywhere for Buffalo in the win.
James Cook is a perfect compliment to Allen in the backfield
The Bills are a power-rushing team thanks to Allen's ability as perhaps one of the most potent rushing quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen. He's one quarterback power call way from taking it to the house, as the Chiefs found out, but having a strong one-two punch in the backfield is what makes Buffalo so dangerous.
As such, third-year running back James Cook was a huge presence for the Bills in the win over the Chiefs. He rushed only nine times for 20 yards, but when Buffalo needed to punch the ball in deep in the red zone, it was Cook who the Bills turned to early. He capped off the Bills' first drive of the game with a three-yard touchdown and then he showed off his power running chops with this six-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
Cook may not be a superstar like his brother, Dalvin Cook, used to be, but he's one heck of a solid quarterback and his presence in Buffalo's backfield made all the difference for the Bills against the Chiefs.
