St. Joseph Post
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs thought they had beaten the Buffalo Bills with one of the most unexpected and audacious of plays Sunday.
Then, the roar inside Arrowhead Stadium was silenced - replaced instead by a cascade of boos.
The Bills (7-6) had just taken the lead on Tyler Bass's field goal with 1:54 to go when Patrick Mahomes marched the Chiefs across midfield.
He dropped back, spotted favorite target Travis Kelce across the middle, hit him between the numbers — then watched the ex-high school quarterback throw across the field to Kadarius Toney, who finished off the 49-yard touchdown catch.
Except, there was a flag on the play. Toney had lined up offside. The play came back, Mahomes proceeded to throw incomplete on three straight plays and the Bills, in desperate need of a win, escaped with a 20-17 victory.
Meanwhile, it was another brutal loss for the Chiefs (8-5), who have lost four of their past six.
An especially tough way for Toney to end his night. He also dropped an easy pass earlier in the game when Kansas City was driving for points.
The loss didn't rest entirely upon Toney's shoulders, though.
The Chiefs have been beating themselves with penalties and turnovers most of the season, and that was the case again on Sunday
They were flagged seven times for 45 yards — that 5-yarder on Toney the one that everyone will remember — while Mahomes was picked off on a batted ball and Rashee Rice fumbled the ball away late in the third quarter.
Mahomes finished with 271 yards passing and a touchdown with an interception Sunday, though he was pressured all day by a healthy Buffalo pass rush. Rice had seven catches for 72 yards and the score.
Kelce finished with six catches for 83 yards.
Though, there were too many mistakes for a team with too many deficiencies to overcome.
In years past, the Chiefs seemed as if they could win no matter what. And proof often came at the expense of the Bills. There was that 38-24 victory in the AFC championship game a few years ago, and the 42-36 overtime win in the divisional round the following year, when the Chiefs needed a mere 13 seconds to get within range for the tying field goal in regulation.
It looked as if there would be more of that magic Sunday until 80,000 fans in Arrowhead Stadium spotted a flag on the field.
Then, the game looked like so many have this season for the Chiefs.
Kansas City, who's now only one game ahead of Denver in the AFC West, and now the No. 3 seed in the AFC, go to New England Sunday for a noon central time kickoff.
The game will be carried on KFEQ Radio (680, 95.3) and Q Country 92.7 FM in St. Joseph.
