ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen threw a touchdown pass and ran for two scores to outduel Patrick Mahomes and the Buffalo Bills defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 28-21 on Sunday in a rematch of last season’s AFC championship game.
James Cook had 114 yards rushing and Buffalo’s defense did the rest in harassing Mahomes, who was sacked three times, hit 15 more and finished with the worst completion percentage of his career.
The game was decided in the final 17 seconds, when Mahomes threw three straight incompletions from Buffalo’s 40. The last throw fell short of the end zone and was batted down by rookie Maxwell Hairston. The drive began at Kansas City’s 42 after Matt Prater’s 52-yard field goal attempt for the Bills struck the right upright.
Allen was 23 of 26 — a team-record 88.5% completion percentage — for 273 yards for Buffalo, which improved to 6-2 and has won two straight since losing consecutive games. The Bills have defeated Kansas City in five straight regular-season meetings, but are 0-4 in playoff matchups dating to the 2020 postseason — including last season’s AFC title game.
The Chiefs (5-4) had a three-game win streak snapped after winning five of their last six.
Mahomes, who entered having passed for three touchdowns in each of his past three outings, finished 15 of 34 — a 44.1% completion percentage — for 250 yards and no scores and an interception.
Mahomes, a two-time NFL MVP, had previously never finished a regular-season outing completing fewer than 50% of his passes over his nine-year career. His previous low was going 19 of 38 for 159 yards in a 21-7 win at Cleveland on Dec. 15.
Rashee Rice scored on a 3-yard run and Kareem Hunt had a 2-yard run to account for the Chiefs’ two touchdowns. Mahomes did convert a 2-point play with a completion to Travis Kelce, while Harrison Butker made field goals from 19 and 46 yards.
Allen opened the scoring with a 23-yard TD pass to Dalton Kincaid — the seventh time Buffalo has scored a touchdown on its opening drive this season. The quarterback also scored on a pair of 1-yard runs in an outing during which the teams traded leads twice.
After the Chiefs built a 10-7 lead on Butker’s 46-yarder 5 1/2 minutes into the second quarter, the Bills responded by scoring touchdowns on their next two possessions.
Ty Johnson capped a five-play 70-yard drive with a 3-yard run for the go-ahead score.
The Chiefs then gave up the ball on downs at Buffalo’s 40 when Cole Bishop broke up a pass attempt to Rice on fourth-and-3. Allen then marched Buffalo on a seven-play, 60-yard drive that he capped with the first of two touchdowns.
Allen milestones
Allen’s TD run was the 78th of his career, including the playoffs, breaking the NFL record for quarterbacks he shared with Cam Newton. With his three TDs, Allen has 282 (passing and rushing), moving ahead of Mahomes for second among players before the age of 30. Allen, who turns 30 in May, now trails only Peyton Manning (288).
