By CHUCK POLLOCK, Wellsville Sun, Olean Star Senior Sports Columnist
Since Sean McDermott became coach of the Bills in 2017, Buffalo has played Kansas City six times in the regular season.
And, after Sunday afternoon, he has now beaten his mentor, Andy Reid, on five occasions. But none was more important than what happened Sunday afternoon at Highmark Stadium before 71,112 thoroughly-entertained observers as the Bills gutted out a 30-21 victory.
The immediate impact is that it ended the Chiefs’ 15-game win streak that began after a Christmas Day loss to the Raiders last year and included a dozen victories by one possession.
Meanwhile, Buffalo, now 9-2, has won six straight and has a ridiculous 4½-game AFC East-lead over Miami, 4-6, a team it has already beaten twice.
But, more importantly, with the Chiefs falling to 9-1, the Bills edged within a half-game of Kansas City for the No. 1 spot in the conference — and the lone guaranteed bye — and have the advantage of a head-to-head victory.
This game was everything it was supposed to be … the lead changed hands five times before the fourth quarter, when the decision came that decided it.
BUFFALO WAS clinging to a 23-21 lead and faced a 4th-and-2 at KC’s 26-yard line with 2:17 to play. The Bills had just seen their 9-point lead evaporate when the Chiefs motored 70 yards in 10 plays in a span of less than five minutes to cut it to two.
Did Buffalo opt for a 44-yard field goal and a 5-point lead or try to convert and burn more clock?
The normally conservative McDermott opted for the latter and quarterback Josh Allen motored 26 yards for the clinching touchdown.
As the seventh-year QB recalled, “They had a man (defense) and we had a play for it, then they dropped it down to a zone and I just wanted to make a play to help us win the football game. Any time you give the ball back to Patrick (Mahomes, KC’s elite QB) up by five you’re at risk (of losing).”
As McDermott recalled, “We mapped it out during the week and felt strongly that was the right decision. I felt there’s been too many games where you kick a field goal and Patrick comes back and they go score a touchdown … or it’s overtime and they get the ball first and the game’s over.
“They’re just way too good to not go for it there. Every situation is a little bit different, but I felt confident.”
AND ALLEN is confident these two elites will meet again in the postseason where Kansas City has won the three meetings since 2020.
“It’s another Week 11 win,” he said recycling his pregame posture that it was just another game. “Knowing them we’ll probably see them again at some point but we’ve got to get there first. Given our history we seem destined to meet in the playoffs.”
Of his team’s effort, Allen said, “We’re just trying to find ways to win … guys are down (hurt). We’re missing a couple of guys on offense and others step up. We’re a resilient squad … there’s a lot of love in this locker room … we just want to play for each other and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
McDermott agreed.
“This was just an incredible effort … the injuries we’ve been able to persevere through and guys stepping up.” he said. “This was a great win but as we talked about in the locker room, this is not the finish line … this is (just) the next game. We got to nine wins and that’s hard to do, we’re grateful for that and looking forward to getting a little rest (the Bills requested a late bye week, in this case Week 12).
He added, “It’s hard to win games and to win against a team that’s won back-to-back Super Bowls, coached by Andy Reid and quarterbacked by Patrick Mahomes that’s always going to be tough. These games have always been close. That was very high-level competition and hopefully the fans enjoyed it and on TV as well.”
Of course, the selling point of these games is the matchup between Allen, who besides the game-clinching run, threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Curtis Samuel, and Mahomes, who had three TD tosses two short ones to backup tight end Noah Gray and a 10-yarder to rookie Xavier Worthy.
When asked about playing against Mahomes, Allen said, “It’s just a lot of respect … one of the greatest players of all time. “I feel fortunate to share the football field with him.”
And Mahomes, expects it to happen soon enough.
Lip-leaders who saw the two QBs meet at midfield after the game saw Mahomes mouth, “Let’s do it again.”
NOTES FROM the Bills’ 30-21 victory over the Chiefs, Sunday afternoon at Highmark Stadium:
— Buffalo’s 30 points marked the first time the Chiefs have surrendered more than 28 in 30 games.
— Festivities started early as CBS’ “NFL Today” pregame broadcast, for the first-time ever, left its New York studios and set up in an Abbott Road parking lot to broadcast its noon-to-1p.m. show from Orchard Park.
Later, the cast — Matt Ryan, J.J. Watt, James Brown, Bill Cowher, Nate Burleson and Jonathan Jones — and crew moved inside the stadium to finish its day.
One of the highlights of the show was a cutaway aerial shot of both the current stadium and the one under construction. By the way, the new facility which was originally estimated at $1.4 billion, this past week it was announced the estimated cost has risen to $2.1 billion.
The other pregame highlight, of course, was Watt, Burleson, Ryan and Cowher doing the cliched jumping onto and smashing a table.
— Buffalo’s first takeaway was an interception of Chiefs quarterback
Patrick Mahomes by safety Taylor Rapp, his second of the season.
The second, decided the game, as linebacker Terrel Bernard picked off a fourth-down pass.
— Kansas City’s first takeaway was an interception of Bills QB Josh Allen by cornerback Chammari Conner, his second of the season. Allen has now been picked off five times this season.
— Buffalo running back James Cook, who scored twice, now has 11 TDs on the season, 10 of them rushing.
–The Bills first sack of Mahomes was logged by Bernard, his first o f the season. The second went to edge rusher Von Miller, the league’s active leader, who had three sacks before his NFL suspension, and finally got No. 4.
— Mahomes’ three-touchdown game was the 40th of his career, tying him for 15th all-time with Tony Romo and Joe Montana.Tom Brady is the all-time leader with three TD passes or more in a game with 104.
— Bills coach Sean McDermott continued his dismal record on challenges, throwing the red flag on a one-handed DeAndre Hopkins reception. The call on the field was upheld and McDermott’s eight-year career record on challenges fell to 36 made, only 11 of them successful.
— Bills kicker Tyler Bass, who seemed to have straightened out his slump after kicking that 61-yard game-winner against Miami, missed his fourth extra point of the season after Buffalo’s opening touchdown.
— Inactive for the Bills were three starters, wide receiver Keon Coleman (wrist), tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee) and right offensive tackle Spencer Brown (ankle). Also inactive were cornerback Kaiir Elam, tackle Will Clapp and linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio.
The Bills brought two players up from the practice squad, tackle Richard Gouriage and tight end Zach Davidson. Both were on Sunday’s active roster and saw action, the latter catching his first pass.
Brown’s spot was taken by Ryan Van DeMark while Curtis Samuel and Mack Hollins replaced Coleman and Quintin Morris stepped in for Kincaid.
(Chuck Pollock, a Wellsville Sun and Olean Star senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@wnynet.net.)
