Allen lifts Bills over Chiefs
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Bills quarterback Josh Allen scrambled to the left on the mushy turf in Arrowhead Stadium, saw the Chiefs defensive back go low for the tackle and made like an Olympian by leaping over him for a first down.
Apropos as Buffalo finally cleared one of its biggest hurdles in the AFC on Sunday night.
Allen threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns while running for another score, Micah Hyde returned a rare interception by Patrick Mahomes 26 yards for a TD, and the Bills rolled to a 38-20 victory over Kansas City in a conference title game rematch that was delayed more than an hour by lightning.
“I think this is going to be made a bigger deal than it is. We’re in Week 5,” Allen said. “Four wins doesn’t get you to the playoffs. We ended up with a win. That’s our goal each and every week, to come out and be resilient through lightning delays. I’m proud of how our team handled the situation.”
Emmanuel Sanders had two TD catches for the Bills. Tight end Dawson Knox had 117 yards receiving and the other one.
“We’re going to enjoy it on the plane back. You can tell I’m enjoying it out there; I lost my voice screaming,” Sanders said. “But at the same time, it’s not like we won the Super Bowl. It’s Week 5. We have to get back to work.”
Mahomes finished with 272 yards passing and two touchdowns to go with two interceptions and a lost fumble — three of his team’s four turnovers. Mahomes also wound up being the leading rusher for the Chiefs (2-3) with 61 yards as they struggled to get going offensively against a brutally difficult Buffalo defense.
It didn’t help that running back Clyde Edwards-helaire left with a knee injury early in the second half. Tight end Travis Kelce also left in the closing minutes after taking a blow to the head.
“We know we have what it takes to be great. We have a lot of great players that have been really good other places,” Mahomes said. “We know we have what it takes. It’s a matter of coming together now and finding a way to do that.”
The game had been hotly anticipated since January, when the Chiefs romped past Buffalo on their way to the Super Bowl, largely because it promised to once again showcase two of the AFC’S best offenses in prime time.
The problem for Kansas City? It also has one of the worst defenses.
“They’re embarrassed by it,”
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of the defensive performance. “We have to do better.”
The Chiefs were fortunate to trail only 24-13 at halftime, when lightning lit up the sky and sent fans scurrying for the concourses. The Bills had begun to warm up but were pulled off the field for what became an hour-long wait.
Things didn’t get a whole lot better for Kansas City when the game finally resumed.