The Kansas City Chiefs are in unfamiliar territory heading into their bye week. After falling to the Buffalo Bills 28-21 on Sunday, Kansas City sits at 5-4 — and if the playoffs began today, the Chiefs would be on the outside looking in. It’s the first time since Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback in 2018 that the team enters a bye week outside the playoff picture.
The loss in Buffalo was particularly frustrating for Chiefs fans and the team alike. Mahomes struggled through one of the worst performances of his career, completing just 15 of 34 passes for 250 yards with one interception and no touchdowns. Most notably, this marked the first time in his nine-year regular-season career that Mahomes finished a game with a completion percentage below 50 percent. The Bills’ relentless pass rush was the culprit, pressuring Mahomes on 20 of his 38 dropbacks and sacking him three additional times.
Despite the offensive struggles, the Chiefs’ defense put up a fight with Kareem Hunt recording a rushing touchdown and Rashee Rice adding another score. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome the dominance of Buffalo’s attack. Josh Allen threw a touchdown pass and ran for two scores, while James Cook rushed for 114 yards to lead the Bills to victory. Buffalo improved to 6-2 and has now won five straight regular-season matchups against Kansas City.
The loss carries significant implications. The Chiefs now trail the Denver Broncos by two games in the AFC West and sit just half a game behind Jacksonville for the final playoff spot. With a tough schedule ahead — including two matchups against Denver, one against San Diego, and critical games against Indianapolis and Dallas — Kansas City has little room for error.
On a positive note, the team received encouraging news when first-round draft pick Josh Simmons returned to the team after missing four games due to personal matters. The talented left tackle’s return should provide some relief to an offensive line that has been ravaged by injuries all season.
Mahomes acknowledged the urgency during his postgame comments, emphasizing that the team must learn from the loss and execute immediately upon returning from the bye week. Head Coach Andy Reid also stressed the need for improvement, particularly in how the team operates against strong defensive opponents.
The Chiefs head into their bye week with plenty to address, but with the talent on this roster, a turnaround is certainly possible during the second half of the season.