Tag: Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Bills’ Josh Allen went on record-setting scoring pace in playoffs

#Bills’ Josh Allen went on record-setting scoring pace in playoffs:

Bills QB Josh Allen has been playing at a historic level this season and continued that trend in Sunday’s division-round game against the Chiefs.

Allen went 27/37 with 397 total yards four touchdowns and no interceptions.

In fact, between the Bills’ Wild-Card round win over New England and their Division-round game in Kansas City, the 25-year-old threw nine combined TDs with no INTs.

It marked the first time in NFL playoff history that a player had four passing touchdowns and zero interceptions in back-to-back games.

“He’s The Best Quarterback In The NFL,” said Gabriel Davis of Allen via video conference. Davis caught all four of Allen’s TD passes, setting a single-game playoff record for receiving scores in a playoff contest.

Two of those four scoring throws came within the final 2 minutes of regulation, including one with only 13 seconds left on the clock.

The Bills defense, who had been the top unit in the NFL this season, was unsuccessful in stopping the Chiefs. Kansas City went 44 yards on two throws setting up a Harrison Butker game-tying kick to go to overtime.

Despite the QB’s legendary performance in a game many called “the Super Bowl before the Super Bowl”, Allen’s only chance to take the field again would be for the OT coin toss.

While the NFL extra time rules could rightfully be reviewed and rectified as needed, Allen took the high road after the game instead of voicing his frustrations. Choosing to be gracious in defeat, humbly demonstrating leadership and personal responsibility instead.

He also made it clear during a video conference with the press on Monday what he and the Bills focus truly is.

“It’s Super Bowl or bust around here,” Allen said. “We have to find a way to get through that barrier and bring one home to Buffalo.”

Bills’ Josh Allen on NFL overtime: ‘The rules are what they are’

#Bills’ Josh Allen on NFL overtime: ‘The rules are what they are’

Josh Allen had perhaps more right than anybody to voice his frustrations as he took the podium for his postgame press conference on Sunday.

The Bills QB had just delivered two what-would-be game-winning drives only to have those efforts dashed when the Bills defense was unable to get a stop.

They instead would allow two offensive drives by the Chiefs that would send the game to overtime, where Kansas City would win the coin toss and again go on an unstopped scoring drive. With the tap of a toe in the endzone, TE Jason Kelce would end the Bills season at Arrowhead for a second consecutive year.

And all Allen could do was watch from the sideline.

Current NFL overtime rules do not allow an opponent to respond once a touchdown is scored.

“The rules are what they are, and I can’t complain about that ’cause if it was the other way around, we’d be celebrating too,” Allen said while addressing the media. “So, it is what it is at this point. We didn’t make enough plays tonight.”

While the Bills defense and special teams may have put them in a position they should not have been in, to begin with, Buffalo would never get the ball back in OT, exposing the NFL’s overtime rules’ lack of parity in what was perhaps the highly visible example to date.

“It was tough to be in that moment,” Allen added. “Again, I have a lot of respect for Pat, he throws the winning touchdown, and he comes straight over and finds me. To be in that situation and to do that, that was pretty cool of him to do that. Obviously, it sucks the way it happened. We wanted to win that game. We had our opportunities. (I was) taking it all in and holding on to the feeling and making sure that we don’t feel like this again, like I said back-to-back years in the same spot. It’s tough to take in, but it’s part of the game.”

The two teams traded scores as Allen and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes delivered a memorable QB shootout, combining for 25 points in the final two minutes of regulation. Allen would finish 27/37 with 329 yards and four touchdowns while leading the Bills with 68 rushing yards on the ground.

After Allen found Gabriel Davis for impressive back-to-back touchdowns, the game appeared to be won. The Bills then elected to kick the ball into the endzone instead of going for a squib kick to run time off the clock. Their defense gave up 44 yards in 13 seconds allowing the Chiefs to kick a field goal to tie the score at the end of regulation and send the game to go to overtime. There they would again cease to stop Kansas City who, upon winning the coin toss, scored the touchdown that would seal the win.

In one sense, the Bills lost the game due to the flip of a coin.

Though the defense’s inability to stop the Chiefs, coaching decision not to squib kick and lack of OT rule parity were collectively things that each ultimately proved costly to Buffalo’s chance to find out which team would truly have come out on top and who the winner of the game’s quarterback shootout would have been. Not to mention a shot at an AFC Championship and Super Bowl.

OT Dion Dawkins spoke out on Monday about how the 50/50 coin toss carries too much weight. The offensive tackle went on to emphasize that the team needed to strive to keep it in their hands; That when it’s in their hands, their hand wins.

“We should never let a football game be determined by a coin. I think that’s the craziest rule in sports,” Dawkins said while addressing the press. “This ain’t Vegas,” he added, “we’re not at a casino table.”

Ironically, the Chiefs organization proposed a rule change to allow both teams to get possession in OT at the 2019 NFL owners meeting. They experienced the losing side themselves in the 2017 AFC championship.

It is tough when one of your three phases of football turns in a historical effort the way the Bills offense did, only to have the other two phases and a rule that lacks parity affect a game outcome.

And none of that was lost on head coach Sean McDermott.

“Chiefs are a good football team,” McDermott said while addressing the media. “And we knew it was going to take a heckuva effort coming out here. And I thought the guys gave us that effort. Starting with Josh and all the way down the line. Obviously, we got to do some things we gotta do better. Those guys, they’re hurt, they’re disappointed. We’re all disappointed, we’re all hurt, sick to our stomach. So, you move on and try to get yourself to learn from it, but it stings. It stings. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. It stings.”

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Bills WR Gabriel Davis makes history in loss to Chiefs

#Bills WR Gabriel Davis makes history in loss to #Chiefs:

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The Buffalo Bills turned in a memorable offensive performance during Sunday’s divisional-round playoff matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.

And Bills WR Gabriel Davis made NFL history in the process.

He became the first player ever to have four touchdown receptions in a single game. As the Kansas City defense was focused on Stefon Diggs, it opened up opportunities for the second-year receiver out of UCF.

Davis and QB Josh Allen were electrifying.

Each of the 22-year old wideout’s touchdowns came from at least 18 yards out and he accounted for eight catches with 201 of Allen’s 329 passing yards as well as all four of his TD tosses.

The tandem connected for Davis’s first score of the day on an 18-yarder with under a minute to play in the first half, tying the game at 14-points apiece.

Then in the third quarter, Allen found Davis again for a 75-yard rocket that was the Bills’ longest play from scrimmage this season and one that tied the QB’s career-long for a pass.

The third scoring catch of the day was a 27-yard toss that came just under the two-minute mark giving Buffalo the lead.

Then, with only 17 seconds left in the game, Allen would hit Davis for 19 yards and another TD to take the lead, breaking the NFL mark for TDs in a playoff game.

With that fourth scoring catch, the wideout broke what had previously been an 18-way tie for the league record of three TDs in a playoff game. The old record holder group included the likes of Jerry Rice, Larry Fitzgerald, Western New York’s own Rob Gronkowski.

The Bills defense would give up 44 yards in the final 13 seconds of regulation, allowing the Chiefs to kick a field goal to tie the score and send the game to go to overtime. There they would again cease to stop Kansas City who, upon winning the coin toss, scored a touchdown on an offensive drive ending the game.

While the loss is a difficult one for the Bills, the young core of talent they have in players like Davis and Allen, performing at the elite level they did, projects favorably in the team’s ability to compete for years to come.

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Power rankings: Despite skid, Bills hang onto top-10 status

Buffalo Bills heading into Week 7 after Week 6 power rankings in NFL.

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The Buffalo Bills are facing one of their biggest challenge of the 20202 NFL season to date. The team has lost back-to-back games against AFC playoff contenders in the Titans and Chiefs, respectively, after starting the year with four-straight wins. 

Considering the Bills’ quick rise among power ranking polls with their wining streak, the team and its leaders recognize the need to improve now. But as mentioned, the Bills did, in fact, lose to two pretty promising squads. Because of that, the most recent rankings actually aren’t too harsh to the Bills. Even with consecutive losses, it appears the national media, like the team’s players, aren’t going to panic just yet. Buffalo remained in many top-10s across the NFL landscape.

With that, here’s a look at where the Bills sit among national power rankings polls following Week 6: 

USA TODAY

10. Bills (11)

Welp, apparently not ready for prime time. But that’s OK. They remain atop AFC East – although barely – and aren’t scheduled for their next showcase under the lights until December.

Touchdown Wire

9. Buffalo Bills (4-2. Last week: 8)

The Buffalo Bills and their fans were riding high coming into Week 5 of the NFL season. Josh Allen was playing like an MVP, and the offense was doing its part to allow a defense that many expected to be good again in 2020 to work out some inconsistencies on that side of the football.

The past two weeks have certainly changed the script.

After suffering a blowout loss at the hands of the Tennessee Titans last Tuesday night, the Bills lost to another top AFC team, falling to the Kansas City Chiefs by a final score of 26-17. Allen was not at his best for the second-straight week, completing 14 of 27 passes for just 122 yards, a pair of touchdowns, and an interception. Weather might have played a role, as it was rainy and raw in Buffalo on Monday night.

But more concerning than the weather is the defense. The Bills struggled against Patrick Mahomes – as teams tend to do – but they also struggled to stop the run. Rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire ripped off 161 yards rushing on just 26 carries, keeping the Bills defense on the field for over 37 minutes of game time.

That unit, the Bills defense, has become a true concern for Buffalo. They entered Week 6 giving up an average of 28.4 points per game, 12th most in the league. Worse still is what they have done in terms of Total Defense DVOA, as the Bills entered Week 6 ranked just 27th. Continued play like that is going to force Josh Allen to be perfect for the Bills to win games, and when he is not like he was not against Kansas City, they are going to struggle.

Sports Illustrated

8. Buffalo Bills (4-2)

Last Week: Loss vs. Kansas City Chiefs 26-17

Next week: at New York Jets

That’s two straight losses for the Bills now, but I wouldn’t say it’s knocked their season off course. They are the best team in their division but seem to be a cut below the top-tier teams in the conference. They are dangerous enough to beat anyone on any given day, but come January they’ll likely have to do it on the road.

NFL.com

8. Buffalo Bills (4-2)

Previous rank: No. 7

“There’s no panic, but there is a sense of urgency.” Josh Allen said the right things after Monday night’s 26-17 loss to the Chiefs in Orchard Park, but there’s cause for concern after a pair of losses to elite AFC teams in the past seven days. Playing in rainy conditions, Allen never looked comfortable in another outing that recalled memories of his bumpy rookie year. Meanwhile, the defense is now officially A Problem. Andy Reid surprised all by unleashing a relentless run-based attack that bowled over the Buffalo defense for 245 yards on a whopping 46 attempts. With one last shot at redemption in the final minutes, the Bills’ defense was unable to get off the field, leading to a clinching Chiefs field goal. Just a disappointing night all the way around.

Sporting News

8. Buffalo Bills 4-2 (5)

The Bills’ defense got exposed badly because of injuries in Week 5 at the Titans. That requires Josh Allen to keep leading with clean offensive play even if the running continues to sputter. He won’t be curbed in trying to show off his bigger arm on the other side of Mahomes.

Yahoo! Sports

8. Buffalo Bills (4-2, LW: 7)

I’ve been high on the Bills, and I’m not bailing on them now. But that was ugly. The Chiefs were miles ahead of Buffalo in a big spot for the Bills. The offense flailed around in the rain, and the defense continued a very unimpressive start to the season. They’ll get it fixed. I think.

CBS Sports

9. Bills (-1)

They have lost two straight games and the offense has sputtered. They have to get back on track, and the Jets are the perfect team to make that happen this week.

Bleacher Report

8. Buffalo Bills (4-2)

High: 7

Low: 12

Last Week: 8

Week 6 Result: Lost 26-17 vs. Kansas City

The shine is coming off Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.

Over the first month of the 2020 season, Allen completed over 70 percent of his passes as the Bills peeled off four straight wins. But over the last two weeks, he has looked a lot more like the erratic passer who couldn’t hit 60 percent his first two seasons in the league.

The numbers against the Kansas City Chiefs were ugly: 14-of-27 passing for 122 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The Bills allowed more yards to Kansas City on the ground than Buffalo gained as a team.

It wasn’t just Allen, either. Buffalo’s run game continued to struggle with Devin Singletary and Zack Moss combining for 42 yards on 15 carries. Rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire peeled off 161 yards on 26 carries against a Bills run defense that had no answers all night long.

That’s two straight games against postseason teams from last season—two straight opportunities to measure just how good these Bills really are.

And two straight times, they came up short.

Pro Football Talk

10. Bills (No. 8; 4-2)

When the Chiefs decide to run all day long, you know you have a really bad run defense.

ESPN

8. Buffalo Bills (4-2)

Week 6 ranking: 5

Most impactful injury: LB Matt Milano

Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and cornerback Tre’Davious White have each missed a game to injury, but Milano has already been lost for three games in the first six weeks. When Milano doesn’t play, the middle of the Bills’ defense is exposed, especially in the passing game. Now in a contract year, Milano presents a conundrum for Buffalo’s front office: He is too valuable to let walk in free agency, but his injury history might put a cap on what type of salary he can command.

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Sean McDermott: Titans loss will ‘make Bills stronger’

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott, Leslie Frazier on Tennessee Titans loss in Week 5.

The Buffalo Bills are regrouping following their first loss of the season on Tuesday to the Tennessee Titans. A lopsided evening to forget and, hopefully, one to build on.

The Bills looked uncharacteristic and out of rhythm in a matchup that was uncertain to take place following roller-coaster weeks of positive COVID tests from Titans players and personnel. Buffalo ended up being blown out, 42-16. 

But ever the optimist and football guy, Bills head coach Sean McDermott said his team will still find positives out of the loss. Buffalo will use what happened in Tennessee as a learning experience. 

“As we go through through the week and certainly the next game, and on through the season, and these are the moments that make you stronger,” McDermott said on Monday via video conference. “You learn from adverse times in your life, and I’ve said to the players before- I’d rather have a player that’s been through things, been through stuff in their lives, than a player who hasn’t because I know they’ve had to deal with some stuff in their life. And I think that builds that resiliency, and that mental fortitude if you will, that mental toughness that we all need to accomplish what we’re trying to accomplish here.”

Overall, the Bills defense this season has yet to reach the level of performance and consistency the team has been known for on that side of the ball in recent memory. Assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier detailed on Monday exactly where the Bills defense has come up short. 

“We’ve struggled to play good man coverage at times & even in our zone coverage,” said Frazier said. “We haven’t been able to put together a consistent rush with good coverage, so we’ll have to continue to work on it to get there.”

Moving forward, the Bills will have to put the Titans in the rearview mirror almost immediately. A big test awaits ahead and the Bills and Frazier know it. The defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs will visit Buffalo next in Week 6. But again, there’s another silver lining to be found: A strong performance against the Chiefs will make any shortcomings earlier this year by Buffalo’s defense a distant memory. 

“Limit the explosives and try to take the football away. Those are the priorities when playing an Andy Reid offense so you can limit their time on the field,” Frazier said. “Those guys are pretty good, that’s for sure. The good thing is we get to line up again and play another game.”

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