Chiefs vs Bills Breakdown
Overview of the Chiefs’ week 6 showdown.
By: Justin Miles @justm1les
The Chiefs fell 20-24 to the Buffalo Bills in what turned out to be a sloppy showdown. Nonetheless, this up and coming rivalry was exciting throughout. With the win, the Bills move to 5-1 and stop atop the AFC standings. The Chiefs fall to 4-2 but remain in second of the AFC. Per usual, it’s time for the weekly breakdown.
As expected, Patrick Mahomes put on a show, going 25/40 for 338 yards and a touchdown through the air. Even with a great performance, he managed to throw 2 interceptions, including the game sealing one. You can blame who you want for the turnovers, but at the end of the day, interceptions are quarterback stats. Mahomes did a good job spreading the football around and often making something out of nothing. There is not much to say here, as we all know Mahomes is one of the best in the league. He has and will continue to play great football.
The running back room was nothing short of disappointing in this one. Clyde Edwards-Helaire saw 9 carries and only managed 33 yards. Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon combined tallied for just 4 carries for 10 yards. While part of this is due to the Bills’ stellar defensive line, it seemed the Chiefs offense could not execute anything on the ground. CEH has established himself as a hybrid back that can do a little bit of everything. However, I would like to see Pacheco see a massive increase in carries and mold into an every-down back. Pacheco is an explosive player that runs the ball hard. With the rookie seeing an increase in volume, the Chiefs’ offensive production could sky rocket.
On the receiving end, JuJu Smith-Schuster led the team with a career game. He caught 5 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. The receiver continually seems to be growing more comfortable in our offense while developing more chemistry with Mahomes. He was a true playmaker in this one and could very easily mold into the Chiefs true WR1. As usual, Travis Kelce also had a big night for the Chiefs, racking up 108 yards on 8 catches. He continually makes plays, no matter how well other teams cover him. Kelce was called for a very questionable offensive pass interference call which brought back a huge play late. But regardless still ended with a great performance.
Mecole Hardman has continued to produce more for the Chiefs offense and did just that in this one. He ended the night with 3 catches for 42 yards and a touchdown. He managed to get open time after time and will likely only get better as the season progresses. This receiver room continues to grow and improve game after game. It will be exciting to see how the develop and perform as the season progresses.
The offensive line was very inconsistent in this one, allowing 3 sacks. This group started off the season hot but have progressively gotten sloppier. They are also to be partially blamed for the lack of production on the ground. Despite this, they fought hard against a tough defensive front and showed high upside moving forward. Despite a tough matchup, offensive lineman Andrew Wylie had a rather poor performance. He seemed to constantly allow pressure and gave up a few too many plays. There is a chance the Chiefs will shop for a replacement before the trade deadline.
Despite the loss, the Chiefs defense played a great game on all levels. Nick Bolton once again led the team with 13 total tackles, including 2 tackles for a loss. Cornerback Joshua Williams had a great game. He ended the night with 9 total tackles. Chris Jones was responsible for the Chiefs’ one and only sack and wreaked havoc the entire night. The secondary played well for the most part, only giving up a few big plays against one of the best passing games in the league. Our secondary has fought multiple injuries and already is a very young core. It is great to see such a young defense play so well already. If they can continue this play moving forward, they will be a key piece to a playoff run.
Harrison Butker finally made his long awaited return. In this one he made his presence felt, going 2/3 on field goals including a franchise record 62 yard field goal. He also went 2/2 on extra points. Despite a windy night, Butker was able to spark life into a Chiefs team that seemed down at some points in the game. It was good to have him back and he will continue to substantially benefit this Chiefs team.
At the end of the day, you cannot win them all. This Bills team has some great talent and will continue to be a tough team moving forward. The Chiefs showed high promise on all aspects of the game and will likely continue to pursue this extremely high ceiling moving forward. As the team continues to mesh, they will face a gritty San Francisco 49ers team this next week. This game definitely gave the team many things to grow on moving forward. However, expectations should be higher than ever for this team as the season progresses. When everything is clicking, this Kansas City team has the potential to be the best overall teams in the league. Not to mention, they’re still second in the conference. Next week’s game will definitely be a clash of two styles and will be an interesting, intense matchup. As always, Go Chiefs!
Stats via: ESPN.com
All images via: Chiefs.com
