In a game where they shutout the league’s sack leader (Justin Houston, 12 sacks entering Sunday), ran for five yards per carry (22 carries for 110 yards), outgained the Chiefs 364 to 278, and sacked Alex Smith seven times while only allowing one on offense, crucial red-zones mishaps, defensive breakdowns, and a tough break on special teams were enough to prevent a Buffalo victory.
The Bills were 0-4 in the redzone, settling for a pair of Dan Carpenter field goals, having a fumble at the 5 by Bryce Brown that could have been recovered by Scott Chandler in the endzone before it went out for a touchback, and a missed fourth-down throw from Kyle Orton to Sammy Watkins with about two and a half minutes left that ended Buffalo’s best chance to take the lead. After a seven play, 51 yard opening drive that resulted in an Orton 25 yard touchdown to Chris Hogan, Buffalo had only six combined points on its deepest drives of the game, not something they can get away with against a playoff contender.
On defense, the plays that killed them were a 3rd and 16 completion from Alex Smith to Dwayne Bowe for 15 yards in the first minute of the fourth quarter that made a potential punt turn into a 4th and 1, and then on the next play, the Bills fell for a fullback fake and pitch to Charles, who ran for a 39 yard touchdown to cut a 10 point lead to 3 with 13:30 left. After a drive by each team, a Chiefs punt deep in their own territory was being returned by Leodis McKelvin, but fumbled near his own 30 on a play in which he was dragged down from behind in a play fans wanted called for a horse-collar tackle, similar to the play Ole Miss receiver Laquon Treadwell was injured and fumbled two Saturdays ago.
A big issue that the Bills overcame for much of the day was no big plays from Watkins, but on a day when Smith and Bowe connected consistently on backshoulder plays for crucial gains, Orton and the rookie receiver failed to connect on a first down and fourth down play from Kansas City’s 15 on attempted backshoulder throws. Watkins said the loss was a tough one, and the team “didn’t finish”.
“We’ve got to do better as a group and you can’t win like that,” said Watkins who had 4 catches for 27 yards on 10 targets, and had his fifth game of 31 yards or less receiving after 279 yards in the past two contests. “Turning the ball over, not making the plays we need to make in critical situations”.
“We could be 6-3 right now and we as a whole group could have changed the situation and been 6-3. We’ve just got to get back to the drawing board and get ready to work.”
Orton, who finished 29 of 48 for 259 yards and a touchdown, said he “missed” a throw down the middle to Hogan down the middle of the seam on a third down and 10 on a seam route throw between two defenders.
“We were right there,” Orton said of having the ball in the red zone with a chance to win, similar to the team’s victories against Detroit and Minnesota. “We were knocking on the door, and I really thought we’d get it done. I wish I had the third down pass back to (Hogan). It just didn’t work out.”
Orton said that he his backshoulder throw to Watkins on fourth down should probably have had “more air” on the ball and give Watkins a chance, but safety Ron Parker “made a good play on it”, and “it didn’t work out”.
Kernels of Positivity
Another positive in a tough loss that is a huge hit to the Bills’ postseason hopes with a tough schedule upcoming (and a Thursday night game at Miami) was limiting the Chiefs defense, which entered Sunday with 27 sacks (3rd in NFL behind Buffalo and Minnesota) had only one by defensive tackle Dontari Poe. The offensive line also opened run lanes for Brown (7 carries for 35 yards) and Anthony Dixon (9-62), helping keep the ailing Fred Jackson to rest as much as possible, with only 3 carries for 10 yards and four catches for 39 yards, with the game against Miami on Thursday looming.
“We got the run game going, and I thought the offensive line did a good job opening up holes for them,” said Orton. “(The running backs) hit it fast, found the holes, and made some good runs.”
Jackson, who came back to play in three weeks after being sidelined and carted off with a groin injury that was supposed to keep him out a month, said he feels like he’ll be physically ready to play in four days, “especially” because of the play of Dixon and Brown.
“It’s not like I’ll be out there getting 35 carries or something so whenever you have that luxury of splitting time with two good running backs it takes a lot of pressure off you,” said Jackson.
Tough Negatives
After the first five carries of the day for Jamaal Charles went for no yardage, his next ten went for 98 and the game-changing 39 yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
The first five games of the season made it seem like Buffalo had figured it how to stop the run like an elite defense, but the last three games, the Bills have allowed 460 yards rushing (153.3 per game). That is something that must change if the Bills must make a run at the postseason, as are the three killer fumbles that gave Kansas City 7 points and took away at least 7 from Buffalo.
“We had a couple mental errors there late in the game,” said defensive end Jerry Hughes, who had 2 sacks along with Marcel Dareus’ three. “Against a playoff team like that you really can’t shoot yourself in the foot and expect to win.”
They’re on to Miami
While the entire team didn’t exactly channel Bill Belichick’s “We’re on to Cincinnati” presser a few weeks ago after a blowout loss to these same Chiefs, they made it clear they can’t dwell on a tough loss today.
“Get ready for it tomorrow,” said safety Aaron Williams of the team’s Thursday night game against Miami. “This game is over with, there’s nothing we can do about it unless you want to complain and say,”ifs”, “ands,”, and “buts,” but you can’t do it, you’ve got to go on.”
Orton said each game, including the Miami one “is very important”.
“It’s probably good that we turnaround right away and not think about this one,” said Orton. “We’ll move to Miami and have a good three days to get ready for them.”
Leodis McKelvin says he feels like the team is “great”, and just has to “minimize” mistakes.
“I feel comfort in the guys that I’m playing with, the guys that block for me, the guys that are on the offensive line, the guys running the ball, the guy throwing the ball, the guys catching the ball,” said McKelvin.
The Bills must echo that sentiment the remainder of the season, and reward that trust on a consistent basis if they want to make the postseason in a deep and jumbled AFC.
