Details on Buffalo’s 16-10 win against the Chiefs on the road.
Buffalo Bills Insider Chris Brown gives his report:
Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Regular season records: Buffalo (6-5), Kansas City (6-5)
In a nutshell:
Two struggling teams came into this matchup, but it was the home standing Chiefs that had an offense stuck in neutral. It helped the Bills build a 10-point first half lead. Buffalo’s offense struggled come the second half managing only a field goal drive, but that coupled with a late Tre’Davious White interception was enough for a much-needed 16-10 victory for the Bills.
The victory lifted Buffalo back over .500 at 6-5 and more importantly ended a three-game losing streak.
The Bills and Chiefs were separated by less than a touchdown with 12 minutes remaining (16-10), but neither Buffalo nor Kansas City’s offense could string enough positive plays together to change the score.
The Chiefs were given one last chance to change the game after Buffalo went three-and-out with just over two minutes remaining. E.J. Gaines was flagged for unnecessary roughness while making a tackle on Charcandrick West near the left sideline giving the Chiefs 15 additional yards and a 1st-and-10 at the Bills 38-yard line. But three plays later Tre’Davious White intercepted a pass intended for Tyreek Hill and returned it deep into Chiefs territory.
Buffalo’s offense knelt out the remaining time on the clock for the six-point win. Kansas City has now dropped five of their last six games and has an identical record to that of the Bills.
The Bill got out to a 10-0 lead in scoring drives that bridged the first and second quarter. Tyrod Taylor hit Zay Jones for an 11-yard scoring play. That was followed by a field goal drive with Stephen Hauschka hitting from 34 yards out.
That 10-point lead would hold through halftime as the two teams traded field goals before the second quarter came to a close. But that was all the scoring the two teams could muster in the low-scoring affair.
How it went down:
-The Bills got on the board first when Tyrod Taylor found Zay Jones for an 11-yard touchdown reception with a minute and a half left in the first quarter (7-0). Buffalo came out with a power run formation at the start of the drive and got a couple of first downs to get into a rhythm. LeSean McCoy picked up 17 on a pair of carries to start what wound up being a nine-play, 58-yard drive.
-Buffalo pushed their lead to 10 when Stephen Hauschka capped a six-play, 28-yard drive with a 34-yard field goal with 12 minutes left in the half.
-The Chiefs finally got on the scoreboard with a 45-yard field goal from Harrison Butker to finish off a five-play 32-yard drive with 1:44 left in the half (10-3).
-Tyrod Taylor led a two-minute drive at the end of the first half and got a big lift from Stephen Hauschka, who bombed a 56-yard field goal to re-establish Buffalo’s 10-point lead (13-3) at the half.
-The Chiefs offense got on track on their opening possession of the second half. Kansas City marched 85 yards on nine plays before Albert Wilson took a receiver screen 21 yards to the end zone to make it a three-point game just five minutes into the third quarter (13-10).
-Buffalo came right back with a field goal drive as Hauschka was true from 49 yards away to make it 16-10 Bills midway through the third quarter.
Subplots:
-Tyrod Taylor in his return to the starting lineup went 19-29 passing for 183 yards and a touchdown pass. He had a passer rating of 94.5.
-LeSean McCoy managed just 50 rushing yards on 21 carries to average 2.4 per carry. He also had four receptions for 30 yards.
-Tre’Davious White made his second interception of the season with 1:25 left to seal the win.
-Buffalo’s offense was slowed in the second half going 0-for-5 on third down conversions. They went three-and-out on three of their five second-half possessions.
-Colton Schmidt had a whale of a performance punting. He had a net punting average of 41.1 on seven punts in the game and had four downed inside the 20.
-Buffalo’s defense held the Kansas City offense to 0-for-6 on third down conversions in the first half.
-The Chiefs 57 total net yards in the first half was a season low by a Bills opponent so far this season.
-Stephen Hauschka’s league record streak of 50-plus yard field goals came to an end when he missed a 52-yard attempt wide right. Hauschka did begin a new streak of 50-plus yard attempts when he hit a 56-yarder at the end of the first half.
-Buffalo’s defense looked back on track early as they held the Chiefs offense without a first down on their first five possessions.
-Eddie Yarbrough got the start at left defensive end over Shaq Lawson.
-Inactive for Buffalo on Sunday were Kelvin Benjamin, Mike Tolbert, Shareece Wright, Conor McDermott, John Miller, Cordy Glenn and Logan Thomas.
Up next:
The Bills host the New England Patriots at New Era Field on Sunday Dec. 3 for a 1 pm kickoff.