In the past, Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott has put trust in his defense to make game-winning stops in late-game situations.
On Sunday, he put the trust in the offense against the Kansas City Chiefs — and quarterback Josh Allen made sure the decision paid off.
With just over two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, McDermott opted to go for it on 4th-and-2 deep in Chiefs territory rather than try a field goal that could have extended the lead to five points. Allen rumbled through the Kansas City defense for a 26-yard touchdown run, putting the Bills up 30-21 and sealing the win.
After the game, Allen sent a message of thanks to McDermott.
“I appreciated coach for trusting us,” Allen said.
Josh Allen Feared Patrick Mahomes
Allen told reporters after the game that he was worried about kicking the field goal and giving the ball back to the Chiefs with the chance to drive for a win. He noted that quarterback Patrick Mahomes has a knack for scoring in those situations, and the Chiefs had just driven for a touchdown on their previous drive.
“Any time you give the ball back to Pat (Mahomes), that offense, down six with the game on the line, I like their odds in that situation,” Allen said. “So wanting six or seven (points) to try to make it a two-score game.”
The late touchdown gave the Bills a 9-point lead and the defense came through from there, intercepting a pass from Mahomes on the last-gasp drive to clinch the victory.
Allen completed 27 of 40 passes for 262 yards with one touchdown and one interception, adding 55 rushing yards and with one more touchdown on the ground. Though the Chiefs’ defense held the Bills’ running game largely in check, running back James Cook scored two touchdowns.
Patrick Mahomes Speaks Out After First Loss of the Season
The win moved the Bills to 9-2 and handed the Chiefs their first loss of the season. Though the Chiefs remain a half-game ahead of the Bills at 9-1, the victory gave Buffalo hope of getting the No. 1 seed this season.
After the game, Mahomes said there was no shame in losing to such a good team.
“That’s a good football team. Nothing to hang your head on losing to them,” Mahomes said. “We feel like we can play better. So we’ll get back to work and try to use this as a spark so we can be a better football team in the end.”
Mahomes added that he wasn’t worried about losing their chance at a perfect season, noting that a Super Bowl three-peat is the only goal that matters.
“The undefeated thing was cool. But that’s not our ultimate goal. So we’ll keep building toward that,” Mahomes said.
The Bills have a strong chance to clinch the AFC East within the coming weeks, moving four-and-a-half games ahead of the Miami Dolphins. They head into their bye week at 9-2, the team’s best record through 11 games since the 1992 season that ended with a trip to the Super Bowl.
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