Chiefs-Bills final score: Buffalo deals Kansas City a 24-20 home loss

Predicted by nearly everyone to be a high-scoring shootout, the Buffalo Bills’ 24-20 road victory over the Kansas City Chiefs ended up being something entirely different. The game began with two long drives that ended in red-zone turnovers — and at the end of the first quarter, the score was tied 0-0.

The Bills finally managed a 39-yard field goal with 4:44 left in the half to take a 3-0 lead. The Chiefs responded with a touchdown pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster to take a 7-3 lead just before the two-minute warning — and then the Bills scored a quick touchdown, leaving just 12 seconds on the clock. Two plays later, Kansas City’s Harrison Butker set a new franchise record by nailing a 62-yard field goal as time expired — sending the teams to halftime with the score tied at 10.

But Kansas City’s opening drive of the second half ended with Butker missing a 51-yarder. The Bills responded with a touchdown on the short field — which Kansas City matched with another touchdown late in the third that once tied the score. The Chiefs forced a turnover on downs, grabbed a field goal to take a 20-17 lead. But then the Bills managed a 76-yard drive leading to a touchdown that gave them a 24-20 lead with 1:05 left. Two plays later, Taron Johnson intercepted a Mahomes pass, icing Buffalo’s win.

The Chiefs won the coin flip and deferred. Returning after a four-game absence, Harrison Butker sent the ball into the end zone. The Bills began the season’s most anticipated game at their own 25-yard line.

After a first down throw actually lost a yard, Josh Allen found Gabriel Davis, who picked right back where he left off in January by gaining 22 yards. An eight-yard run followed by a short pass to running back Devin Singletary put Buffalo in Chiefs territory. A third consecutive touch by Singletary moved the Bills to the Chiefs' 33. Chiefs safety Justin Reid was down on the field with the training staff following the play.

After the injury timeout, Singletary continued his heavy usage with another eight-yard run. Reid returned to the game after one play, as Allen found Stefon Diggs to move the ball into the red zone. Two plays later, however, Allen attempted an option play, tossing the ball backwards to wide receiver Isiah McKenzie. McKenzie was not able to hold on to the ball, and Chiefs linebacker Darius Harris landed on the live ball, giving the Chiefs’ defense the game’s first turnover.

The Chiefs took over at their own 11-yard line following the fumble. Clyde Edwards-Helaire began with a five-yard carry to the 16-yard line. Patrick Mahomes found Travis Kelce on the next play for an 11-yard gain. Two plays later, Mahomes took the Chiefs into Buffalo territory with a 26-yard pass to Mecole Hardman. Hardman followed with a 13-yard catch-and-run to the Bills 34. Short passes to Noah Gray and JuJu Smith-Schuster and an eight-yard run by Edwards-Helaire put the Chiefs into the red zone.

The Chiefs appeared to have scored on a touchdown pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, but the play was negated by penalty. Two plays later, Jerrick McKinnon was stuffed on a third-and-2 run to bring up fourth down. The offense stayed on the field, however, and Mahomes scrambled to the Buffalo eight-yard line. Three plays later, Mahomes appeared to have again found Valdes-Scantling for a touchdown, but rookie cornerback Kair Elam came down with the ball, evening the turnover battle and giving Buffalo the ball back at their own 25.

Allen opened the ensuing drive with a 31-yard pass to Diggs to the Chiefs' 49. After an incomplete first-down pass, Allen appeared to elude the entire Chiefs defense to scramble nine yards. He picked up the first down on the next play on an outside run. A short pass to McKenzie and a nine-yard run by Singletary took the ball to the Chiefs' 22, where the first quarter came to an end in a still scoreless game.

On the first play of the second quarter, Singletary took a backfield toss to the ten-yard line, only to see the play come back with a holding call. Pressure from defensive tackle Khalen Saunders led to Allen throwing the ball away on the now first-and-13. The Chiefs held Singletary to four yards on second down, setting up third-and-9. Reid broke up a pass to McKenzie to set up a Tyler Bass field goal attempt. Bass was good from 39 yards, giving the Bills a 3-0 lead.

Isiah Pacheco took the kickoff at the three-yard line, returning the ball 18 yards to the 21. Mahomes found Smith-Schuster for nine yards on the drive’s first play, and Edwards-Helaire gained a new set of downs on the next play. Mahomes then found Kelce in space for 25 yards, moving the ball to the Bills’ 42. The Chiefs quickly faced third down after two incompletions. Mahomes missed Hardman on the run, but the play was negated by offsetting holding calls. With a second chance at third-and-10, Mahomes scrambled to extend the play, and he found Smith-Schuster at the 35. Smith-Schuster broke away from tight coverage and ran the ball to the end zone for his first touchdown as a Chief. Butker was true on his first kick attempt since his injury, and the Chiefs took a 7-3 lead.

The Bills again took possession at their own 25 after another Butker touchback. Singletary continued his solid day on the ground with seven yards on first down. The Bills gained a first down after a short Singletary run and a quarterback sneak by Allen. Allen again eluded heavy pressure and scrambled for six yards before being driven out of bounds by Nick Bolton. He then found Diggs for 11 yards to enter Chiefs territory. Singletary then carried for 14 yards to the 33-yard line. A pass interference call on Juan Thornhill against Diggs set up first-and-goal at the 10. Singletary took the ball to the three before a tipped pass set up third down. Allen had no time to throw after a blitz by Thornhill. On fourth-and-goal, McKenzie fell down and could not reel in Allen’s pass, thrown under heavy duress from a zero blitz package. The Chiefs took the ball at their own three-yard line.

Pinned deep in their own territory, Pacheco gave the Chiefs more room to work after a five-yard first-down carry. It was not to last, however, as Mahomes was sacked right back at the three on second down. On third-and-10, Mahomes found Jerrick McKinnon, but he fell just inches short of the line to gain. Making his first appearance, punter Tommy Townsend sent a monster kick from his own end zone to the Buffalo 31, where the Bills took over with 4:27 remaining in the half.

Allen could not connect with Davis on first down, and a three-yard carry by Singletary quickly resulted in third-and-seven. Allen escaped pressure once again, but had nowhere to throw the ball. Bills punter Sam Martin made his first appearance with a 45-yard boot to the Chiefs’ 21-yard line. Kansas City took possession at their own 27 after a short return by wide receiver Skyy Moore.

With just over three minutes remaining in the half, the Chiefs started their next drive with a four-yard run by Pacheco. A defensive holding call on second down gave the Chiefs a first down at the 36. A tipped first down pass followed by a false start by tackle Orlando Brown forced second-and-15 at the 31, where Mahomes again had a ball batted down. Yet another defensive holding call moved the ball back to the 36-yard line and gave the Chiefs another first down. Mahomes found Smith-Schuster in front of Elam at the Bills 49-yard line. The Chiefs would line up for their first-down play, however, back at the 34-yard line after a post-play taunting call on Smith-Schuster. Pacheco then took a 12-yard pass to the 46, setting up first down — and bringing up the first half’s two-minute warning.

On the first play after the pause, Mahomes overthrew Justin Watson on a deep pass. Longtime nemesis Von Miller then sacked Mahomes at the 37 to force third-and-19. Linebacker Matt Milano nearly sacked Mahomes again on the next play, but the quarterback barely threw the ball away in time. Townsend made one of the best punts of his career, pinning the Bills at their own seven. They would take possession at their own four after an illegal block penalty.

The Bills backed themselves up even more on the drive’s first play with a false start. Now facing first-and-12 from the two, Allen nearly found McKenzie for the first down, only to see the ball bounce off of his hands. The quarterback appeared to see a wide running lane, but Nick Bolton stopped his second-down run for a one-yard loss. On third-and-13 from their own one-yard line, Allen found Davis at the 19-yard line to avoid disaster. Two plays later, a 30-yard pass to Diggs moved the ball to the Chiefs' 48-yard line. Khalil Shakir put them into field goal range with a 14-pass. On the next play, however, Allen found Davis matched up with rookie cornerback Joshua Williams for a 34-yard touchdown pass. Martin’s extra point gave Buffalo a 10-7 lead with only 16 seconds remaining in the half.

Seeking to avoid a repeat of a certain situation in their last game in Kansas City, Martin put the ball on the ground, and fullback Michael Burton fell on it at the 28-yard line with 12 (not 13) seconds remaining. Mahomes threw a short pass to McKinnon, and he ran out of bounds at the 47. Mahomes threw a quick nine-yard pass to Kelce, and a timeout was called with only one second remaining. Butker ended the half by nailing a 62-yard field goal into the wind. For the second consecutive week, a franchise record for longest field goal fell, and the first half ended with the Chiefs and Bills tied 10-10.

Pacheco took the second-half kickoff at the one but was only able to return it to the 16-yard line. Edwards-Helaire carried the drive’s first snap for a 10-yard gain and a first down. His next carry, however, went only for a yard — and an incompletion to Valdes-Scantling quickly brought up third down. Mahomes found Moore in heavy coverage for a 24-yard catch-and-run.

An incompletion and short run quickly resulted in another third down. Mahomes was true on his second consecutive third-and-long situation, finding Kelce at the Bills' 37. The Chiefs would only gain four more yards on the drive, however. Butker was unsuccessful on a 51-yard field goal attempt. The Bills began their first second-half possession at their own 41 with the score still tied 10-10.

Singletary began the drive with a one-yard loss. Dawson Knox then caught a 20-yard pass to enter Kansas City territory at the 40. Two plays later, a 13-yard pass to Diggs advanced to the 22-yard line. Two plays later, Diggs beat Williams in coverage for a 17-yard touchdown. Bass came on for the extra point and Buffalo took a 17-10 lead.

Pacheco took another short kickoff in front of the end zone and advanced to the 17. Mahomes started the drive with a 23-yard pass to Kelce to the Chiefs’ 40. Mahomes then faked a handoff to Edwards-Helaire and found Smith-Schuster in motion on a slant. Smith-Schuster then put himself over 100 yards receiving on the day by advancing the ball to the Buffalo 19-yard line. After Edwards-Helaire was held to no gain on first down, Mahomes scrambled to the nine-yard line, setting up first-and-goal. On first down, Kelce took a direct snap and moved the ball to the five. Mahomes then rushed for two yards before finding Hardman on third down against tight coverage from Elam for a touchdown. Butker’s extra point tied the game at 17-17.

Starting at their own 25 after another Butker touchback, Allen found McKenzie for a four-yard pass to start the drive. Allen then found tight end Tommy Sweeney for a first down before finding fullback Reggie Gillam for an 11-yard gain and another new set of downs. A five-yard catch by Diggs and a three-yard rush by James Cook brought the third quarter to a close with the score tied 17-17 and a third-and-one from the Kansas City 44-yard line looming.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Darrius Harris dropped Singletary for a two-yard loss to force fourth-and-three from the Chiefs’ 46. He was not able to connect with Diggs, and the Chiefs took over on downs.

A two-yard carry by Edwards-Helaire and 10-yard pass to Kelce put the Chiefs in Buffalo territory. Kelce appeared to move the ball to the 11-yard line, but an offensive pass interference call negated the play, setting up first-and-20 at the Kansas City 48-yard line. Mahomes brought the Chiefs back into Bills territory with a seven-yard pass to Gray. He then found Kelce again, gaining a new set of downs at the Bills’ 26. An incompletion to Burton and a loss of three yards by Pacheco, however, set up third-and-13. Mahomes eluded pressure and ran well over 13 yards, but the motion was side-to-side; he only gained three yards on the play. Butker came on for a successful 44-yard field goal — giving the Chiefs a 20-17 lead.

McKenzie finally returned a Butker kickoff, but the result was the same as he advanced to the 25-yard line. Allen started the drive with an 11-yard pass to Singletary, who rushed for no gain on the ensuing first down. After a day of losing the battle, Williams made a great pass breakup on Diggs, setting up third-and-ten. A week after receiving one of the most controversial penalties in league history, Chris Jones appeared to get away with an uncalled trip, recording an 11-yard sack of Allen. Martin punted the ball to the Chiefs 15. Hardman initially fumbled the punt, but was able to recover and advance to the 23-yard line to start the drive.

Mahomes started the drive with a three-yard pass to Kelce. McKinnon gained a yard on second down, quickly setting up a third-and-six. Miller then dropped Mahomes for a five-yard sack, resulting in Kansas City’s first three-and-out of the game. The Bills took possession at the Chiefs’ 24 after a 60-yard punt by Townsend.

Allen threw an eight-yard pass to Gilliam to start the drive. Williams came out of coverage to hold Singletary to only a yard on second down. On third down, Singletary was just short of the needed one yard, setting up a fourth-and-inches at their own 33-yard line. Allen then bulldozed through for the first down. A five-yard pass to Diggs and three-yard run by Allen set up another third-and-short. This time, he found Diggs for an 11-yard pass to the Chiefs’ 46. Two plays later, he found Diggs for 18 more yards to the Chiefs 28, bringing the game to the two minute warning. Jaylen Watson appeared injured on the play.

Coming out of the break, Allen ran for 16 yards to the Chiefs’ 12, before losing two yards on the next play. He then found Knox in the end zone for a touchdown. The extra point by Bass gave the Bills a 24-20 lead, with only 1:04 remaining.

Bass put the kickoff in the end zone, starting the Chiefs’ drive on the 25. Mahomes missed Mecole Hardman on first down, but a holding call on the opposite side of the field gave the Chiefs a new set of downs.

On first down, however, Bills cornerback Taron Johnson stepped in front of Moore for a game-sealing interception. After a replay review, Buffalo took over at the Chiefs’ 30. A six-yard Singletary rush and two kneel downs by Allen put the clock at three zeros, sending the Bills to 5-1 and the Chiefs to 4-2 with a final score of 24-20.

Injuries

Chiefs safety Justin Reid left the field with training staff during Buffalo’s first drive. After having his foot wrapped, he returned a play later.

Cornerback Jaylen Watson left the field for a play with an undisclosed injury at the two minute warning.

Special Teams

In his first game since Week One, Harrison Butker set a Chiefs kicked a 62-yard field goal to close the first half, breaking a one-week old record previously held by Matthew Wright. He was no good on a 51-yard attempt on the second half’s first drive. He was successful on a 44-yard try in the fourth quarter.

Tommy Townsend kicked a 57-yard punt from his own end zone in the second quarter. He later pinned the Bills at their own seven wtih a 56-yarder.

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