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The Chiefs missed their FG attempt at the end of the 2nd quarter, so they didn't successfully double dip. Also, it has been proven per an ESPN analysis a few years ago that teams don't gain an actual advantage in terms of win-loss percentage by kicking off first. When you kick off first, as the Chiefs did, and give up an opening-drive TD, as the Chiefs did, it can really snowball and backfire on you. Imagine if Mahomes didn't find McKinnon for the miraculous 3rd-and-6 completion on their opening series. The Chiefs would have been punting to the Bills, trailing 7-0, after the Bills had already used up the first seven minutes of the clock. Buffalo could have taken a commanding 14-0 lead and rendered the Chiefs' pre game plan useless. It works both ways.

Mahomes played the first five games of the 2019 season without Tyreek, who was injured on the first series of the opener. His stats: 25-of-33 for 378 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT 30-of-44 for 443 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INT 27-of-37 for 374 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT 24-of-42 for 315 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INT 22-of-39 for 321 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT That's an average of 25-of-39 (64.1%) for 366 yards, 2.2 TDs, 0 INTs and 30 pts per game. Earlier this year, the Chiefs played the Steelers without Kelce and with Tyreek limited (season low snaps, just two catches). Mahomes went 23-of-30 for 258 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT, and left the game early, having completed passes to nine different receivers. No one will dispute he doesn't benefit from being around good players. But I'd almost guarantee you can line him up with second rate talent and he's still going to operate a top 5 offense in the league. KC tried desperately to find a #2 WR in the offseason and even during the season (signed Josh Gordon). He has lots of speed around him at WR, but outside of Tyreek it's pretty patchwork at the WR position with Pringle, Hardman, Robinson, Gordon, etc.

Haha, fair point! You got me. 😃

Structurally, the stadium is still in fantastic shape. The renovation in ~2010 really classed the place up. No, it is not super modern and swanky looking like SoFi and the new Vegas stadium. It does not have amazing amenities. But it still looks amazing and when you walk in it feels like the ultimate football venue. Every seat in the stadium has been replaced with new seats as well over the last four years. My biggest peeve with the new stadiums being built is the field and game seems almost an afterthought. There's all these bells and whistles on the concourse, and there's tons of extra (wasted) square feet inside. And you just feel so, so disconnected. I've been to the aforementioned SoFi and Vegas stadiums, as well as some of the more modern stadiums built in the last decade plus. All of them have atmospheres that make me feel like I'm at a baseball game.

Video also confirms Orlovsky's analysis of the play from yesterday.

I'm a big fan of McDermott. But this video is damning. The timeout prior to the Kelce catch really seems to have aided the Chiefs in a big way.

The video confirms some of the postgame quotes we saw. The Bills timeouts did indeed help the Chiefs. By the way, Kelce didn't speak very quietly even with Addison sitting right there? And Mahomes barking out his name, as if to say, "Cover him!" It's kinda wild.

The best way to answer these types of hypotheticals is to look at it from the perspective of the opposing team or their fans. As a Chiefs fan, if you offered me the ball at my own 25-yard line guaranteed, or a 90% chance of recovering an onside kick near mid field, I'm taking the ball at my own 25 every time. It would be torture watching the ball bounce around on the ground knowing that a Bills recovery puts them in position to move the ball 20 yards into game-winning field goal range. A surprise onside kick would probably be recovered close to 20% of the time. The chances of Buffalo holding KC to a non TD drive in OT probably was something close to 33% from the 25-yard line; and perhaps close to 20% from midfield. It doesn't sound crazy to me at all.

I'm guessing if there are future playoff rematches between these teams over the next 2-3 years, they'll be played in Buffalo rather than KC. I think the AFC West is on the verge of becoming the premier division if a few of the possibilities shake out. The Broncos are desperate to land a marquee QB, and if the Raiders make a splash and hire a coach like Jim Harbaugh, they could be looking to do the same. Denver and Vegas aren't stupid. They see Mahomes and Herbert in this division and know it's an arms race at QB. One of the two is highly likely to add Watson, Rodgers or Wilson. If that happens — if KC/Mahomes must play four of their 17 games vs Herbert or Rodgers/Mahomes/Wilson — the Chiefs are screwed for the foreseeable future. Look at their 2022 schedule. It's brutal. at Cardinals at Colts (potential big-time QB landing spot) at 49ers at Bucs at Bengals vs Bills vs Rams vs Titans All of these games with the exception of Titans as of right now would be no higher than KC -4. And then the Chiefs will still have the aforementioned division games. The only true layups on the schedule will be Texans and Jags, and perhaps the Broncos if they don't land an impact QB.

Wow, never knew Elway did this in Buffalo too! (Skips to clip of Elway wanting crowd noise lowered.) Elway did the same thing to KC in Arrowhead, same year:

Was the Wild Card game vs Pats the loudest in Bills history? Or were the 90s better? Great summary, thanks for sharing.

If Chiefs win it all, I'll say there's a low chance the Bills return for the Thursday opener. They'll want to set the stage for an early to mid season showdown, likely on NBC primetime but possibly MNF since they haven't gotten a Chiefs-Bills game in recent years. Chiefs vs Rams or Chiefs vs Chargers seem more likely.

Until Mahomes came along, you at least had good company with the Chiefs, who... -Lost in '95 as the 1-seed vs the 6-seed Colts at Arrowhead, 10-7, after Lin Elliott missed three field goals. -Lost in '03 to the Colts, 38-31, despite punting zero times, because the Chiefs also couldn't force any punts. -Lost in '13 to the Colts, 45-44, after blowing a 28-point 2nd half lead. -Lost in '16 to the Steelers, 18-16, despite the Chiefs scoring two TDs and the Steelers scoring zero TDs. -Lost in '17 to the Titans, 22-21, despite leading 21-3, and the decisive score was Mariota completing a TD pass to himself. -Lost in '18 to the Patriots in OT of AFC title game, after a game-clinching INT was nullified because Dee Ford lined up Offside. The Bills' time will come soon enough for a breakthrough. McDermott will have his fair share of doubters. "Can't win big games, sucks in the playoffs." Nah. It's a ton of randomness. The key is to keep making the playoffs year after year and give yourself a chance. Tony Dungy was a playoff loser—until he wasn't. Bill Cowher was a playoff loser—until he wasn't. Andy Reid was a playoff loser—until he wasn't.

Now that some time has passed, am I allowed to re-ask this question? 😁 I'm mainly curious because I think (at least for some) that this loss was a bit easier to stomach in person than on TV. I ran into a Bills fan in the hotel elevator afterward, she said: "I have a 14 hour drive home, and after a loss I would never say this was worth it. But this game was something else. It was worth it." There were several times down the stretch, and especially as the game went to overtime, where I looked around my section and could sense that everyone knew this game was special and that they were seeing an instant classic and maybe one of the best ever. I was honestly at peace with whatever happened in OT because the game gave me everything I could ask for, and both teams equally deserved to win. You can't say that very often. No turnovers, no crazy flukes, the refs largely stayed out of it (only four penalties all game), and QB play was at an all time level. I think it will go down as the greatest game in Arrowhead Stadium's 50-plus year history.

For those who attended last night, curious to hear about your experience at Arrowhead? Did Arrowhead meet/exceed expectations? How were you treated by fans? Where did the game rank on your list of those you've been to (outcome aside)? Overall just interested in hearing about everyone's time at the game.

Looks like Rashad Fenton will miss the game for the Chiefs with a back injury. Monster loss for KC. Fenton is a great press DB who made the critical INT last year to help the Chiefs put the game away when Bills were trailing by 16 but driving in the 4th Q.

Prices will climb the millisecond the Titans win (if they win). Lots of KC fans have one foot in/one foot out waiting to see if the rent money will be spent this week or saved for next week.

Go to a Chiefs game, and I guarantee you will see unmatched hospitality, warmth, kindness and the complete opposite of what you see on Twitter, where hundreds of fans for (insert winning team here) act like idiots.

All this "data" is useless and non predictive. Three of the playoff teams the Chiefs beat were the Cowboys (minus key WRs) and the Packers (minus Aaron Rodgers) and the Steelers (never would have made it if not for Lamar's injury, plus they suck). One of KC's losses vs a non playoff team came at the Ravens early in the year—back when they had a healthy Lamar and were considered a favorite to earn the #1 seed at the time—and another came at home vs the Chargers, who everyone (including Vegas) views as superior to the Steelers—a PTINO: Playoff Team In Name Only. If the Bills played Pittsburgh again, they would run them off the field. What happened 20 weeks ago in a complete fluke is just so irrelevant to what will happen Sunday. The Jaguars, the frickin Jaguars, shut down an offense now being viewed as unstoppable. It's the NFL. Crazy stuff happens.

It's not tough at all. I watch the Chiefs and cheer for them to have success. Players and coaches. "Ignore it best I can?" No. You acknowledge that something happened, and that I don't know the full story, and probably never will, and suspend judgment. I have friends and family members who have done horrible things. I don't think it means they're irredeemable. I still cheer for them. Still support them. Still hope they grow as people. Still believe that they can.

Yep, and Tyrel Dodson sings in the local choir.

My OJ Simpson comment was obviously tongue-in-cheek. I just can't stand when fanbases think that keeping players out of trouble is some sort of organizational skill when most owners/coaches are fixated on football and don't care much about life. Last I checked, "Tyrel Dodson's girlfriend accused him of hurting her, hitting her, breaking her door, and shoving her against the wall, and hitting her across the face, and stealing cash." He is still on the Bills, yes? Okay then. To your question, there is a note that Andy Reid keeps on his desk. Per John Harbaugh, it's always been there dating back to his time with the Eagles. It says simply "Don't judge." I don't know any of these players on any intimate level. None of us do. As stated, there are upwards of 50+ NFL player arrests per year. I can only imagine how many go unreported. These are young athletes who in many cases come from tough backgrounds, with no real support system in place, and a pile of life-changing cash sitting in their bank accounts. I cheer for Tyreek and I root for him to succeed. He started the Tyreek Hill Family Foundation, he has done youth football camps, and he's very involved in the KC community. A cynic could say, "He's doing all that for PR," and maybe that is true. But maybe he isn't? I don't think people should be defined by their worst moment, particularly when those of us in the public have little knowledge of what actually happened behind closed doors. I say that for any player, including Tyreek, Dodson, Willie Gay, anyone.

The Bills also played a good chunk of these teams in bad weather. There is no doubt that Buffalo's defense is overrated. Most advanced models that you see aren't going to account for the fact that the Bills played backup QBs or in horrific weather like the first Bills-Pats game. That said, you can still be a very good defense while being overrated, and the Bills are a very good defense. If you put the other 30 teams up against the Jets in Week 18, same exact weather and situation, no other team would have tied the Jets down as well as Buffalo did. Also, if Buffalo's defense is overrated in part due to weather, then the reverse is surely to be true: Buffalo's offense is underrated.

Ah, yes, the franchise whose best ever player is OJ Simpson.

Tyreek isn't without fault, not by any stretch, but few people know that in the days before Tyreek Hill was arrested for the domestic violence incident at Oklahoma State, that there was a 911 call from his residence. The caller: Tyreek Hill. His girlfriend is believed to suffer from Munchausen by proxy. https://www.ocolly.com/news/source-tyreek-hill-called-police-in-nov-3-verbal-domestic-dispute/article_b531f3be-cdbc-11e4-a280-13e08adbdfab.html From there, Tyreek took the easy route legally, in an attempt to move on with his life and put the situation behind him. Then, of course, the infamous scenario played out in KC. In the secret airport recording, where Tyreek's GF taped their conversation without him knowing, then received help leaking it to the media, Tyreek alleged to her that she "lied on him" at Okla St and was now doing the same. She didn't dispute him on the tape. Reasonable people can disagree on Tyreek's culpability in both situations, and I get that it's easy to assume the worst. Contrary to what's been stated online and elsewhere, I have seen no evidence that Tyreek was granted "sole custody" of their child. But he's been photographed plenty with his child over the last few years, and over the course of his tenure in KC, has actually been a pretty good dude in the community.