It was just two weeks ago that the Buffalo Bills were 4-0 and the talk of the NFL. Their quarterback was a legitimate MVP candidate and the offense was piling up points at a 30 per-game pace. Now, after back-to-back games against two of the best teams in the AFC, this Bills season is starting to take on water. The good feelings of September have given way to frustration and concern in October.
The Bills fell to 4-2 on Monday as the Kansas City Chiefs handed them their second consecutive defeat, 26-17, at Bills Stadium. It was another lackluster performance from the Buffalo defense, which was gashed for 245 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, quarterback Josh Allen struggled for the second game in a row and has fallen off considerably from the high-flying pace he was on in the first four weeks. Allen completed 14 of 27 passes for just 122 yards. He did toss two more touchdowns to bring his season total to 16, but also threw an interception on his final throw of the night.
Buffalo is now searching for answers after two humbling defeats. They can’t seem to get a stop on defense and the quarterback that bailed them out so often in September is no longer saving them. It’s safe to wonder whether or not the Bills can compete with the best teams in the AFC and if the Bills are truly better than they were a year ago.
Here are four things we learned from Monday night’s loss in the rain to Kansas City:
The Bills Do Not Stack Up With the Best Teams in the AFC
The Bills have had two tests so far this season against the higher ups of the AFC. They have not come close to winning either. Though the Bills were within a score of the Chiefs in the fourth quarter, the score of the game didn’t really reflect how Kansas City really dominated.
This continues a pattern of poor performances by the Bills in recent years when they face a step up in weight class. Buffalo has won 14 games dating back to the start of last season, but they have very few impressive wins against good teams among those 14. The Bills largely feasted on teams that missed the playoffs a year ago. They won late-season games at Dallas and Pittsburgh that looked impressive at the time, but both teams ended up missing the playoffs.
When the Bills were matched up against division champions Baltimore, Philadelphia, New England, and Houston in 2019, they went 0-5. The Bills did score an impressive win in Week 3 this season against a Rams team that appears to be playoff bound, but in order to stake their claim among the AFC’s best teams, they need to show well in those games against AFC powerhouses. The Bills have blown two chances to do so already and have not looked good in either game.
Any talk of the Bills claiming the AFC’s top seed is probably dead or at least on life support after now. And fortunately for them, they don’t have many more games on the schedule against the best teams in the conference. The Bills host the currently undefeated Steelers in December, which will likely be there next test against one of the AFC’s best. They do have to prove though that they can beat the Patriots finally. The Bills will see the Patriots once in November and once in December.
Monday’s game was also another example of the Bills struggling against one of the better quarterbacks in the league. Patrick Mahomes did not exactly light it up (he didn’t have to) but he still threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. The Bills defense has done well over the last two years when they have faced lesser quarterbacks, but the league’s best have had their way.
In order to be taken seriously as a title contender, the Bills under Sean McDermott at some point have to show up and beat an actual good team. The Bills don’t have nearly enough wins against good teams under McDermott’s belt. In fact, their best win was probably against Kansas City, back in McDermott’s first season in 2017. It’s been too long since the Bills have notched a win against one of the NFL’s superior teams, especially a team in their own conference.