In the past, Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott has relied on his defense to make game-winning stops in late-game scenarios.
On Sunday, he put his trust in the offense against the Kansas City Chiefs, and quarterback Josh Allen ensured that decision paid off.
With little over two minutes left in the fourth quarter, McDermott chose to go for it on fourth-and-2 deep in Chiefs territory rather than attempt a field goal that would have stretched the advantage to five points. Allen blasted through the Kansas City defense for a 26-yard touchdown run, giving the Bills a 30-21 lead and clinching the victory.
After the game, Allen thanked McDermott.
“I appreciated coach trusting us,” Allen added.
Josh Allen Feared Patrick Mahomes
Allen informed reporters after the game that he was concerned about kicking the field goal and handing the ball back to the Chiefs, who had the opportunity to drive for a victory. He mentioned that quarterback Patrick Mahomes had a tendency for scoring in such situations, and the Chiefs had just scored a touchdown on their last 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 told the crowd. “So wanting six or seven (points) to try to make it a two-score game.”
The late touchdown gave the Bills a 9-point cushion, and the defense came through from there, intercepting Mahomes’ ball on the final drive to seal the game.
Allen completed 27 of 40 throws for 262 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, while also rushing 55 yards and scoring one touchdown. Though the Chiefs’ defense limited the Bills’ running attack, running back James Cook scored two touchdowns.
Patrick Mahomes Speaks Out After First Loss of the Season
The win improved the Bills to 9-2 and handed the Chiefs their first loss of the season. Though the Chiefs are still a half-game ahead of the Bills at 9-1, the victory provided Buffalo optimism of securing the No. 1 seed this season.
Following the game, Mahomes stated that there was no shame in losing to such a talented team.
“That is a good football team. “There’s nothing to hang your head on if you lose to them,” Mahomes added. “We believe we can play better. So we’ll get back to work and try to utilize this as motivation to become a better football team in the long run.”
Mahomes said that he was not concerned about missing their shot at a perfect season, stating that a Super Bowl three-peat is the only objective that matters.
“Being unbeaten was cool. But it isn’t our ultimate goal. “So we’ll keep working toward that,” Mahomes stated.
The Bills have a good chance of winning the AFC East in the coming weeks, moving four and a half games clear of the Miami Dolphins. They enter their bye week with a 9-2 record, their best through 11 games since the 1992 season, which included a trip to the Super Bowl.
