Buffalo Rumblings
Buffalo put Kansas City’s 15-game win streak to bed in Week 11
To those of you who didn’t tune in to watch the Buffalo Bills take down the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11, you missed out. From the outset of Sunday’s game, we were reminded how every matchup between the two teams seems to come down to the final possession. Well, that wasn’t the case for the eighth matchup in this series.
The Bills walked off the field at Highmark Stadium holding a 9-2 record and just a half game behind the Chiefs. Most importantly, Buffalo now owns a head-to-head tiebreaker over these vaunted Chiefs, who were previously unbeaten and at times cocky about the fact.
In the end, Josh Allen did Josh Allen things to completely take over the game when the chips were down. Here are a few of my thoughts as we head into the bye week...
Allen doesn’t need an NFL MVP award to prove his greatness to anyone, but he damn sure deserves one. Allen transcends the ideals so many seek out in quarterback perfection. He’s the best of Bills Mafia personified, and he quickly puts negative plays in the rearview mirror. The likeable QB next door off the field, is an absolute gladiator on it.
It wasn’t Allen’s most memorable day from a stats perspective, but that’s what makes his game scary. He finished 27-of-40 for 262 yards with one touchdown and one interception; adding 12 runs for 55 yards and a touchdown run that broke his second-place franchise tie with Hall of Fame running back OJ Simpson for rushing touchdowns.
With 58 rushing touchdowns at this point, even Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas’ franchise-record 65 rushing touchdowns may not be safe for another season. Allen’s an unstoppable force.
Allen’s improbable touchdown run was a moment that will be talked about for weeks to come. Ahead 23-21 and facing a 4th & 2 with just 2:26 left in regulation, head coach Sean McDermott made the wise decision to trust Allen. Facing favorable odds, Allen tucked the football and ran 26 yards to the end zone, decimating Chiefs defenders, one after another. Allen owned the Chiefs in the most critical moment — when failing to convert on fourth down meant KC took the ball back only in need of a go-ahead field goal. It’s anyone’s guess how things would have played out in that scenario. I’d say that Allen’s play in that moment is the “chief” reason Buffalo won.
Dealt the less-than-ideal odds of playing without his starting right tackle, Allen was hurried in the pocket on most downs. But the line did just enough to hold up and allow him to escape pressure to a check down or better most plays. There’s little stopping Allen once he’s made his mind up, and he decided that it was his job to take some of the pressure of his offensive line.
Once again, Allen...
