Arrowhead Pride
The Kansas City Chiefs open the game sluggishly, going three-and-out on their first possession. Facing a third-and-one, Kansas City turns to running back Kareem Hunt, but the Buffalo Bills‘ defensive line stuffs the run for a loss, forcing an early punt.
The Bills respond with a drive straight out of the Chiefs’ own playbook — a long, methodical march that drains the clock and sets the tone. Buffalo goes 85 yards on 13 plays, eating up more than six and a half minutes before tight end Dalton Kincaid finds the end zone on a curl route to put the Bills on top early.
End of first quarter: Bills 7, Chiefs 0
The first play of the quarter brings fireworks for the Chiefs. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes goes deep to wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who torches his defender by five yards on a post route for a 40-yard touchdown.
Buffalo’s knack for converting on third down continues. Quarterback Josh Allen fires a dart to wideout Khalil Shakir for a 43-yard gain, setting up the Bills in scoring position. On the next play, Allen draws Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton offsides, and running back James Cook capitalizes with a 19-yard rush.
A few plays later, wide receiver Elijah Moore wins off the line on a quick slant and hauls in a touchdown to put the Bills back in front.
The Chiefs manage to respond before halftime — though not with a touchdown. Kicker Harrison Butker drills a 31-yard field goal to trim the deficit to three with under two minutes remaining.
The Bills have a chance to extend their lead before the break but mismanage the clock in the closing seconds. They reach the Chiefs’ 25-yard line but run out of time before getting a play off, taking a missed opportunity into the locker room. They’ll receive the kickoff to open the second half.
End of second quarter: Bills 14, Chiefs 10
The Bills open the second half with a first down but stall soon after, punting following an incomplete pass on third-and-12.
Kansas City’s next drive gains momentum when tight end Travis Kelce moves the chains with a catch across midfield. However, the play comes at a cost, as rookie guard Kingsley Suamataia leaves the game with an apparent upper-body injury.
Facing third down later in the drive, Mahomes steps up in the pocket and unleashes another deep strike to Worthy. The speedster hauls it in for a 39-yard touchdown — his second of the day — giving the Chiefs their first lead of the game.
End of third quarter: Chiefs 17, Bills 14
Allen tries to keep the Bills’ offense rolling, taking a deep shot to Shakir on third-and-10 from the Chiefs’ 41-yard line — but the pass sails six or seven yards out of bounds. Kicker Matt Prater comes on for his first attempt of the day and drills a 59-yard field goal to tie the...
