Instant analysis: Bills go down fighting in loss to Chiefs
The Buffalo Bills historic 2020 season came to a close Sunday night, as the Bills fell to the Kansas City Chiefs, 38-24, in the AFC Championship game. Buffalo found their way onto the scoreboard early, but could not match the Chiefs’ offensive firepower throughout the game. The chippy affair harkened back to some old-school football battles, as the contest featured plenty of physical play throughout.
Buffalo got a jump on Kansas City early, scoring on their opening possession. Kicker Tyler Bass made a 51-yard field goal. The apparent good luck continued to follow the Bills throughout the first quarter. On the Chiefs opening possession, Tyreek Hill got behind Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White, but dropped the pass. Buffalo forced a three-and-out on Kansas City’s first possession. The good luck continued after the Bills first punt, as Chiefs returner Mecole Hardman fumbled the kick. Buffalo’s Taiwan Jones recovered the ball on the Kansas City three-yard line. On the next play, quarterback Josh Allen completed the touchdown pass to Dawson Knox.
For the remainder of the game, it seemed as if the Bills were playing uphill. The Chiefs offense found its footing, and their speed and power produced massive mismatches on the field.
Kansas City would go on to score on three consecutive second-quarter possessions, pushing their lead to 21-9. Coleman atoned for his fumble, scoring on a three-yard wide receiver screen. Darrel Williams rumbled for a six-yard score, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire scored the third touchdown of the day for the Chiefs, a one-yard rush, entering the end zone virtually untouched.
The Bills would add a late field goal to bring the score to 21-12 at halftime. However, the close score was a bit of a mirage, as the Buffalo defense struggled to slow down the dominant Kansas City offense. The Chiefs first drive ended with a drop, not a Bills pass defense. Kansas City also gave away points on the muffed punt.
The Bills, for their part, were laboring to move the ball. The Chiefs blitzed often, forcing Allen to scramble for his life. At times it was Allen, other times it was the offensive line, but in many cases, the teams had difficulty identifying blitz packages.
It was no surprise that the Chiefs offense find their explosive plays. Tyreek Hill scampered for a 71 reception, weaving his way through the Bills defense. Coleman took an end around 50 yards. Hill was a nuisance for the Bills defense, catching nine passes for 172 receiving yards.
When Kansas City decided to move away from the speed game, they wore down the Bills with power and muscle. Buffalo had no answer for Travis Kelce, who scored two touchdowns among with 13 receptions. Kelce totaled 118 receiving yards. On the ground, the Williams pushed piles in the trenches. Williams’ stat line was modest, gaining 52 rushing yards on 13 carries, but he did his job helping salt away the game.
Meanwhile, Kansas City’s defense was the unheralded unit. The Chiefs game plan was to neutralize the Bills big-play potential. Kansas City blitzed heavily. The secondary forced the Buffalo to look underneath for passing options. The defensive backs blanketed the Bills receivers. The combination of Allen under duress and the Chiefs defensive alignment caused havoc on the Bills offensive production.
Buffalo’s offense moved the ball well late in the game, but the game was well in hand. Isaiah McKenzie was on the receiving end of a six-yard pass. The Bills recovered the onside kick, but could only muster three more points from another Tyler Bass 51-yard field goal.
The physical affair hit a peak in the fourth quarter, as tempers flared on multiple occasions. Allen, Jon Feliciano, Dion Dawkins, and Quinton Jefferson took personal fouls in the closing minutes of the game. If, for nothing else, it demonstrated the fight of the Bills in the face of a Kansas City team pushing the envelope on plays.
However, it could be the beginning of a new rivalry in the AFC.
The Bills end their season on the cusp of the Super Bowl, something the team has not done in a quarter-century. It’s obvious that the Bills will not be satisfied with the results of this final game. The Chiefs are in the position that the Bills want to be in. Thus, the changes made to Buffalo’s roster in the offseason will be made as a means of competing with the league’s best.
With two young quarterbacks and stacked rosters, it looks as if these two teams will be seeing quite a bit of each other moving forward.
For now, Buffalo will take some time to reflect upon this game and the season. There’s no doubt that Sean McDermott will turn his focus to the 2021 season starting on Monday.
