After turning in one of the worst games of his career, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes isn’t even thinking about a playoff rematch with the Buffalo Bills.
The Chiefs were dominated through much of Sunday’s 28-21 loss to the Bills, which dropped them to 5-4 and temporarily out of the playoff picture in the AFC. Mahomes was asked after the game about the potential to return to Buffalo to face the Bills in the playoffs, but the Chiefs quarterback instead issued a warning of sorts to his team.
Patrick Mahomes Struggles Against Aggressive Bills Defense
Though Mahomes helped steer the Chiefs back on track after an 0-2 start to the season, the offense hit a wall against the aggressive Bills. Mahomes was hit a career-high 15 times and sacked three times.
When asked by a reporter after the game if he could envision returning to Buffalo to face the Bills in the playoffs — as the Chiefs have knocked the Bills out of the playoffs in four of the last five seasons — Mahomes noted that his team just needs to worry about making the playoffs.
âWe gotta get there first,” Mahomes said.Â
The Chiefs fell to eighth place in the AFC thanks to an overtime win by the Jacksonville Jaguars. They are also two full games behind the Denver Broncos for the lead in the AFC West and one game behind the Los Angeles Chargers.
Mahomes called himself out after the game, saying he should have been more consistent. The Bills kept the pressure on the Chiefs quarterback, holding him to a career-worst 44% of his passes.
âWeâve had great moments, weâve had bad moments. We have to be more consistent as a team,â Mahomes said. âI have to be more consistent as a quarterback. And we have to be able to battle.â
Chiefs Face Big Challenges as Bye Week Arrives
The Chiefs appeared poised to make a run back to the top of the AFC West, recovering from their 0-2 start to win five of their last six games. The team was starting to get some major buzz as Super Bowl contenders, but Sunday’s loss leaves them in a difficult spot as the bye week arrives.
Jarrett Bell of USA Today noted that the Chiefs still have two games against the Denver Broncos and the chance to claw their way back into the divisional race, but now have little room left for error.
“But thereâs a whole lot less room for error,” Bell wrote. “That was the prospect for whichever team lost as arguably the NFLâs most compelling rivalry resumed before the typically rabid Bills Mafia. For the first time in this heavyweight rivalry pitting Mahomes against Josh Allen, the NFLâs reigning MVP, neither team was in first place.”
The loss also allowed the Bills to keep pace against the division-leading Patriots — which puts another obstacle in Kansas City’s way. The wild card race has been competitive, which could require the Chiefs to reach 10 or 11 wins just for a shot at the postseason this year.
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