ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Here are my five takes from the Buffalo Bills’ 20-17 victory against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium:
1. There is no overstating the importance of this win.
It didn’t only, for the time being at least, save the Bills’ season. It didn’t only add a little bulk to their emaciated-looking chances of reaching the playoffs.
This was something bigger. This was a turning point moment in the coaching career of Sean McDermott, a win that spoke volumes about how much he means to his players and how much they mean to him.
The Bills did more than beat the Chiefs for the third time in a row in the regular season to improve their record to 7-6. They scrapped and clawed and dug deep into their souls to find a way to win a game that, like so many others, had the feel of once again slipping through their fingers.
That didn’t happen. After a week in which McDermott felt his character was under fire after it was revealed in an online piece that he used the coordination of the 9/11 terror attacks as an example of good communication in a team speech four years ago, the players showed they had their coach’s back. They were not going to let him down or allow the deafening outside noise, that included a mention on Saturday Night Live, become a distraction.
“I couldn’t be more proud of a group, I really couldn’t at this point in the regular season,” McDermott told reporters after the game. “To a person, they didn’t flinch. They were focused, they supported one another, they supported me. And I don’t take that for granted at all … just a resilient group.”
With a resilient leader.
“You can question a lot of things about coaching style,” Josh Allen told reporters. “You can question a lot of things about my decision-making, you can question a lot of things about this team, but to question (McDermott’s) character and who he is as man, that’s … there’s no … he’s one of the better humans on this planet, how he carries himself. We saw it for what it is.”
2. Finally, the defense closed out a game this season after the offense, thanks to Tyler Bass’ 39-yard field goal with 1:54 left, put it in its hands with fewer than two minutes left.
The Bills’ D had been 0-3 in that department. That statistic went a long way toward putting the team in the precarious position in which it still finds itself.
Never mind all of the defensive injuries. Every team is dealing with injuries. There are a bunch that have lost starting quarterbacks, so there are no tears for the losses the Bills have suffered on the defensive side.
They had to do what they did Sunday for many reasons, not the least of which was proving to themselves that they could do it. And it was no small accomplishment to close out a game on the road against arguably the game’s most talented quarterback in Patrick Mahomes and one of its greatest offensive minds in Andy Reid. Regardless of the help the Chiefs provided with an offside penalty that wiped out a touchdown on their final drive, the Buffalo defense deserves massive credit for standing tall when it counted the most.
Mahomes threw for one touchdown and had one interception. He was off target for much of the game while facing intense pressure that mainly kept him in the pocket as he tried to fit the ball into mostly tight coverage. His No. 1 target, Travis Kelce, was kept out of the end zone.
3. Josh Allen had a solid game. Not spectacular, but more than good enough against one of the NFL’s top defenses.
Allen threw for 233 yards and a TD, with an interception, and also ran for a score. The pick came late in the first half and led to a Chiefs touchdown that cut the Bills’ lead to 14-7 and gave Kansas City a bit of a spark.
Allen did a good job of keeping his composure as the Chiefs used a variety of pressure packages and coverages to keep him off-balance. He completed passes to 10 different receivers and used his legs effectively, running 10 times for 32 yards and a six-yard TD on which he combined his power with the pushing of Mitch Morse and Connor McGovern to cross the goal line in the middle of a host of Chief defenders.
Except for another interception, it’s fair to say he was efficient on a day when the margin for error was razor thin.
4. James Cook had his best all-around day as a pro.
He caught five passes for a game-high 83 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown that gave the Bills a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter. He rushed for a game-high 58 yards and averaged 5.8 yards per carry.
Cook consistently exploded through holes and showed his considerable open-field speed, especially after his catches. He continues to improve as a player, something that will incrementally grow in importance down the stretch and into the postseason if the Bills make it that far.
5. The Bills are one of six 7-6 AFC teams. Though they still find themselves in 11th place in conference standings, they clearly have momentum entering their final four games of the season.
They need to win at least three of them, including the regular-season finale at Miami, to land a wild-card spot. Assuming they stay healthy (especially at QB), there is every reason to believe they can pull it off.
Their next opponent, Dallas, is one of the best teams in the league, but the game is in Orchard Park where the Bills tend to play their best. After that, they have the Chargers and Patriots, two struggling clubs, before closing things out against the Dolphins.
It's not lost on anyone who cares about the Bills that, in 2021, they were 7-6 after 13 games and went on a run that ended with a divisional-round loss at Kansas City.
Another run is more than a slight possibility.