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The Kansas City Chiefs finally lost, falling 30-21 to the Buffalo Bills in Week 11. Their 15-game winning streak was broken in the road contest with their biggest rival. The back-and-forth affair featured four first-half lead changes but Buffalo was able to keep the lead for the entire second half. While it is their first loss in over a year, there is blame to be spread around. Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs' defense, and Travis Kelce are most to blame for the loss.
The Chiefs started the game with the ball and Mahomes immediately threw an interception. The Bills scored but missed the extra point, so it was 6-0. Xavier Worthy scored to make it 7-6 followed closely by a James Cook score that gave the lead back to Buffalo. Noah Gray's first of the game gave KC the lead back before Tyler Bass made it 16-14 at the half. The Chiefs could not get the ball moving in the second half, letting Josh Allen roll down the field on two touchdown drives that clinched the game.
The AFC West is still in control, so there is no reason to panic if you are a Chiefs fan. The number-one seed, however, is now in the hands of the Bills. One more loss from Kansas City and Buffalo could be atop the AFC standings. This game will impact how January plays out so the blame is big for these parties.
Patrick Mahomes must improve
The game started with another Patrick Mahomes interception. He now has ten on the season, his fourth straight season with double-digit picks. While he is still one of the best quarterbacks anyone has ever seen, the turnovers have to slow down for the Chiefs to have success. This pick put all of the momentum in the Bills' court and changed the game.
The Chiefs offense was still not the most efficient in this game. They scored only one touchdown in the second half and could not keep the ball away from Allen. Even after a 9-0 start, there is a lot to clean up for Mahomes and the offense. They have not been great all season but it finally came back to bite them in the biggest game of the season.
Mahomes also deserves a little bit of blame for a puzzling extra-point decision at the end of the game. The Chiefs scored a touchdown to cut the lead to 23-20. Instead of going for two to make it a one-point game, they kicked the extra point. When the Bills scored, it made the lead nine points and insurmountable. Andy Reid shoulders most of that blame, however.
Chiefs defense could not stop the Bills
The Chiefs were 9-0 because of their defense and special teams. They were elite in both facets, winning games with interceptions and blocked field goals. Week 11 was not that kind of game for the Chiefs, as Josh Allen did everything he wanted to do in this game. Kahlil Shakir had eight catches, Curtis Samuel caught five of his six targets, and Dawson Knox snagged four balls.
Josh Allen running the ball is one of the most efficient plays in all of football. He tucked it 12 times for 55 yards, both team highs, and a touchdown. After losing L'Jarius Snead to the Titans, the Chiefs turned to Chamarri Connor at cornerback and it did not work in this matchup. Trent McDuffie was solid on his side but Allen picked on Connor all night long.
The good news for this defense is that their schedule lightens up significantly coming up. The Chiefs stay on the road and face the Panthers next Sunday. And then they host the Raiders on Black Friday. It is not until December 8 that they play another solid offense in the Los Angeles Chargers. They have two weeks to figure it out before that big divisional game.
Travis Kelce is invisible again
Travis Kelce is the leading receiver on the Kansas City Chiefs with just 499 yards on the season. He has 60 receptions, more than double Kareem Hunt, who is in second. With the Rashee Rice injury, that is not terribly surprising. But given how bad Kelce has been in multiple games this season, it is surprising. He did it again on Sunday, catching two balls for eight yards.
Week 11 was the fifth game of the season where Kelce had under 35 yards. If Mahomes is going to win another Super Bowl without a true number-one receiver, Kelce cannot be invisible in big games like this. While it is impossible to keep up the pace he set last week, 14 catches for 100 yards, it has to be better than Sunday. The Chiefs are not the offense they once were, largely because Kelce is not what he once was.
The 1972 Dolphins can pop their champagne, as they will remain the only team to finish the season undefeated. With their undefeated season and 15-game winning streak snapped, the Chiefs play the Panthers in Week 12.
