(Photo courtesy of Athlon Sports) “Josh Allen runs for game-clinching rushing touchdown”
James Guiry
Connector Staff
The Bills beat the Chiefs by nine points on Sunday, November 16, marking Kansas City’s first loss of the 2024-2025 season. The Chiefs were 9-0 before coming into this matchup against the 8-2 Buffalo Bills. This matchup was the fifth contest between quarterbacks Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, two of the faces of the league. This rivalry is regarded as “Brady-Manning part two”, according to Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss.
The Bills struck first with a touchdown from running back James Cook five minutes into the first quarter, taking the lead 6-0. The Chiefs were right back in the game though. Seven seconds into the second quarter rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy caught a pass at the Bills 10-yard line and ran it in for a touchdown, taking the lead 7-6. The game would stay that way for another four minutes and forty-five seconds until James Cook ran in his second touchdown of the day for the Bills, scoring 13-7. Tight end Noah Gray caught a touchdown from Mahomes with two minutes and 51 seconds remaining in the half. The Chiefs took a 14-13 lead, and it would stay that way until Tyler Bass, Buffalo’s kicker, knocked in a 33-yard field goal to end the half and take a 16-14 lead going into the intermission.
Nobody scored throughout the third quarter. Both teams would remain scoreless for more than 17 minutes into the second half until Allen and Curtis Samuel connected on a 12-yard pass for a touchdown to extend the lead for the Bills by nine. Noah Gray caught a second touchdown pass to cut the lead back to two. This would mark Gray’s first career multi-touchdown game.
Allen took over in this matchup throwing for 262 yards with a touchdown pass to Samuel and an interception. Allen got in the endzone himself as well with an outstanding 26-yard run to ice the game. Allen shook off defenders and bulldozed his way through safety Bryan Cook for a fourth-quarter touchdown to put the Bills up by 9 with 2 minutes and 17 seconds remaining in the game.
Patrick Mahomes is one of those quarterbacks that you do not want to leave any time on the clock for, even in a two-score game. Josh Allen and the Bills know this all too well. In the 2021 AFC divisional round, the Bills took the lead with 13 seconds remaining in the game, and Mahomes would then end up leading a 44-yard drive to tie the game. The Chiefs ultimately won in overtime and ended the Bills season and Super Bowl hopes.
Mahomes and the Chiefs could not get that done in this game, despite throwing for 196 yards and 3 touchdowns. They got a first down and that was all. Patrick Mahomes would throw a 4th down interception to a diving Terrell Bernard, Mahomes’ second pick of the game. The Bills would take over with one minute and seven seconds remaining in the game and run the clock out to end it.
Josh Allen is having one of his best seasons yet. He is currently taking over as the frontrunner to win his first NFL MVP at +125 according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Lamar Jackson is at +200 and then there is a big drop-off to Jared Goff at +600. If Allen can win the award, this would be the first time in his six-year career. This has been a focus point for people who are critical of Josh Allen, winning the award will surely cement him as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL if he has not been already.
