ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) 鈥 After watching quarterback Josh Allen bounce off two Kansas City Chiefs defenders before crossing the goal line on a 26-yard run, Bills receiver Khalil Shakir joined the rest of the packed Buffalo stadium by screaming at the top of his lungs.
Allen's touchdown on fourth-and-2 with 2:17 left sealed Buffalo鈥檚 30-21 victory, kept the Bills (9-2) in contention for the AFC鈥檚 top seed and spoiled the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs' bid for a perfect season.
鈥淲hen Josh takes off, I find myself just watching, like, 鈥榃ow, he鈥檚 different,鈥欌 Shakir said. 鈥淲hen he took off today, I just started yelling. I couldn鈥檛 stop yelling. I was blanking in the head.鈥
Bills fans chimed in by chanting 鈥淢VP! MVP!鈥 while watching the replay of their quarterback bursting up the middle to secure a victory in the latest matchup against the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs (9-1), who ended Buffalo鈥檚 playoff runs in three of the past four seasons.
Allen evened his record to 4-4 (including playoffs) against the Chiefs. He said he knew what was on the line when coach Sean McDermott elected to go for it on fourth down rather than settle for a field goal.
鈥淚 appreciated coach for trusting us,鈥 said Allen, who took off up the right hash mark, shrugged off being shouldered by linebacker Nick Bolton and had enough momentum to reach the end zone while wrapped up by safety Bryan Cook.
鈥淎ny time you give the ball back to Pat (Mahomes), that offense, down six with the game on the line, I like their odds in that situation,鈥 Allen added. 鈥淪o wanting six or seven (points) to try to make it a two-score game.鈥
Buffalo鈥檚 defense ended Kansas City鈥檚 desperate final drive when linebacker Terrel Bernard intercepted Mahomes.
James Cook rushed for two first-half touchdowns and Allen threw early in the fourth quarter. The Bills never relinquished the lead after going ahead 16-14 on Tyler Bass鈥 33-yard field goal on the final play of the first half.
The Chiefs were the NFL鈥檚 last undefeated team and finally ran out ways to eke out one-score victories and overcome second-half deficits. The Chiefs had won 15 straight, including playoffs, since they fell 20-14 to the Las Vegas Raiders on Dec. 17, 2023.
鈥淭he undefeated thing was cool. But that鈥檚 not our ultimate goal. So we鈥檒l keep building toward that,鈥 Mahomes said.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a good football team. Nothing to hang your head on losing to them,鈥 he added. 鈥淲e feel like we can play better. So we鈥檒l get back to work and try to use this as a spark so we can be a better football team in the end.鈥
There's a chance these teams will meet again in the playoffs, where the Chiefs have dominated the rivalry. Though Buffalo has won four straight regular-season meetings dating to 2021, the Chiefs have won three straight playoff matchups, including a 27-24 win at Buffalo in the divisional round in January.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great game to learn from for some of our young guys. Two good teams play each other, the margin between winning and losing is small,鈥 Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. 鈥淲e can all learn from it and take something out of it to make us better down the road there. And we鈥檒l do that.鈥
Mahomes finished 23 of 33 for 196 yards with three touchdown passes 鈥 and another to Xavier Worthy 鈥 and two interceptions.
The Chiefs had shown resolve in winning their first nine games by a combined 58 points, with four decided on the final play. That included a 16-14 win over Denver last week in which Leo Chenal blocked Wil Lutz鈥檚 35-yard field goal attempt as time expired.
This time, there were no late dramatics from a Chiefs offense that finished with a season-low 259 yards.
The Bills have won six straight and moved closer to their fifth straight AFC East title. Buffalo is 9-2 or better through 11 games for the sixth time in team history and first since 1992.
鈥淣o statement,鈥 McDermott said of the win鈥檚 significance. 鈥淭his is not the finish line.鈥
The Bills have a chance to rest and heal up entering their bye week. Amari Cooper made two catches for 58 yards while playing with a sore left wrist, and wide receiver Keon Coleman (right wrist) and tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee) were sidelined by injuries.
Allen played through a sore throwing hand, which was examined on the sideline during the game. He finished 27 of 40 for 262 yards with the TDs passing and rushing and an interception.
The rushing touchdown was the 58th of Allen鈥檚 career, moving him into second on the Bills list, one ahead of O.J. Simpson and seven behind Thurman Thomas. Allen鈥檚 two-touchdown outing also increased his total to 244, tying Jim Kelly for first in team history.
Up next
Chiefs: At Carolina next Sunday.
Bills: After a bye, host San Francisco on Dec. 1.
___
AP NFL:
