Rushing attack proves worth
Edwards-Helaire leads K.C. with 161 yards inwin
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Patrick Mahomes didn’t mind taking a back seat to rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire and the Kansas City Chiefs’ running attack.
With the Buffalo Bills working hard to limit deep throws by the strong-armed Mahomes, he gladly kept handing off the ball, and Kansas City beat Buffalo 2617 on Monday night in a game that originally was scheduled for last Thursday.
“You know my nature, I want to throw it deep every time,” said Mahomes, the 2018 MVP. “We want to go down and throw these long touchdowns. But if teams are going to play us like this, we’ve got to show we can run the football.” Mission accomplished. Led by Edwards-Helaire’s 161 yards rushing, the Chiefs finished with 245 — the most since Mahomes took over as starter in 2017. Kansas City’s 46 rushing attempts were also the most in eight years under coach Andy Reid, and that was with newly signed Le’Veon Bell waiting to make his debut after signing with the Chiefs last Thursday.
“Another guy coming in, another piece to the puzzle,” Edwards-Helaire said. “For me, we can only go up. Anything I can do to pick his brain and gain knowledge from, I’m there for it.”
Mahomes finished 21 of 26 for 225 yards with two touchdowns, both to tight end Travis Kelce. His first touchdown was the 90th of his career in his 37th game, breaking the NFL record for fewest games to 90 touchdown passes. Hall of Famer Dan Marino had the previous mark at 40 games.
The Chiefs are off to a their third 5-1 start in four seasons, and they bounced back from a sloppy 40-32 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 11.
Buffalo (4-2) lost its second straight. The Bills fell 42-16 at Tennessee last Tuesday, a game that was moved because of a COVID-19 outbreak within the Titans’ organization. That led to theKansas City-Buffalo game being pushed back as well.
Buffalo’s defense sold out to prevent Mahomes fromgoing deep but proved vulnerable against the run.
The Billswere undone by allowing the Chiefs to convert nine of 14 third-down chances, two of them on a 12-play, 75-yard drive that ended onHarrison Butker’s 30-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining.
Josh Allen finished 14 of 27 for 122 yards with touchdown passes to Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley.