4 takeaways from Bills' perfect-season-crushing 30-21 win over Chiefs

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills put an end to the Kansas City Chiefs' hopes of an undefeated season in Week 11 with a 30-21 win.

Ronnie Eastham | 3 Hours Ago

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There isn't a bigger game on the NFL's regular season docket than the Buffalo Bills vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. Every game between the two teams comes down to the wire and is packed with thrilling plays and drama. Their Week 11 bout was no different, with four lead changes in just the first half. This game delivered more blows than Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, with quarterbacks Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes delivering yet another terrific clash.

With that, here are four takeaways from Buffalo's statement win.

Bills' defensive pressure was phenomenal

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Fans have been quite critical of the Bills' pass rush this season, and generally for good reason. The group seemingly heard the critiques ahead of Sunday, however, and picked the biggest game of the year to shine the brightest. Buffalo's defense had two sacks on Mahomes in the first half, several quarterback hits, and two tackles for a loss. The unit finished with two sacks, three tackles for a loss, and seven quarterback hits. They harassed Mahomes all game, never letting him get comfortable.

Bills run game was shut down early

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This was expected given the Chiefs' terrific run defense, but the Bills largely struggled to move the ball on the ground against Kansas City. Buffalo tried to get the run game going but found itself in several third-and-long situations as a result. At one point in the game, the Bills were averaging fewer than three yards per carry but finished the game with a 3.4-yard average. Buffalo ultimately finished with 106 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. Allen led the way with 55 yards and was the only one to average better than four yards a carry, helped largely by his 26-yard game-clinching touchdown run.

Bills construct championship-like drive to seal the win

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The Chiefs quickly advanced down the field, scoring a touchdown and narrowing the gap to just two points with slightly less than eight minutes left on the clock in the fourth quarter. Buffalo successfully converted several third downs and used up more than five and a half minutes during a 12-play, 70-yard drive, culminating in Allen's 26-yard touchdown run that essentially sealed the game. It's this type of excellent clock usage -- and ending such drives with touchdowns -- that separates good teams from great ones.

Curtis Samuel steps up with Bills shorthanded

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Buffalo was without two of its top offensive weapons with Keon Coleman and Dalton Kincaid on the sidelines for this one. Right tackle Spencer Brown was also out, but several Bills stepped up, including Khalil Shakir with eight receptions. Shakir's contributions to the passing game were expected, but Buffalo needed someone else to step up. It found its man in Curtis Samuel, who finished with five receptions on six targets for 58 yards and a touchdown. His biggest play was one that didn't result in a touchdown or reception; with the Bills facing third and nine in the third quarter, Allen let one go downfield to Samuel, who had beaten the coverage, and Kansas City had to interfere, resulting in a flag and a first down. Fittingly, it was the same drive that ultimately ended in his touchdown.

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