NFL Divisional Round Game Recap: Kansas City Chiefs 27, Buffalo Bills 24

2WDP8TK Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (10) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the fourth quarter of an NFL AFC division playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

It's become something of a tradition, the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills waging war in the postseason with Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen commanding their respective teams.

The star quarterbacks battled in a playoff atmosphere for the third time in their NFL careers, and their seventh overall. And the Chiefs again ended the Bills' season. A late Tyler Bass field-goal miss sealed the outcome of the back-and-forth affair, with Kansas City advancing by a 27-24 score to set up a conference championship matchup with the Baltimore Ravens.

Offensive spotlight: Josh Allen, PFF's highest-graded quarterback during the regular season, made three big-time throws but two turnover-worthy plays, pending review. Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs was held to just three catches for 21 yards on eight targets, and he dropped two balls — including a potentially game-changing deep pass.

Patrick Mahomes matched Allen's three-big time throws but made no turnover-worthy plays. Isiah Pacheco forced a game-high five missed tackles and rumbled for 67 yards after contact, pending review. He ranks second in rushing yards (186) and rushing yards after contact (124) this postseason.

Defensive spotlight: No Bills player generated more than two quarterback pressures, pending review. And due to the lack of pressure, Patrick Mahomes diced up Buffalo's cornerback unit for nine completions and two scores on 11 targets. Meanwhile, the Chiefs' cornerbacks allowed only four catches for 28 yards on eight targets, although one was a touchdown against L'Jarius Sneed.

Rookie spotlight: Neither Dalton Kincaid nor Rashee Rice featured heavily on the stat sheet, although both made big catches throughout the game, recording 45 and 47 receiving yards, respectively.

The true rookie standouts were Bills guard O'Cyrus Torrence in pass protection and Chiefs safety Chamarri Conner in coverage. Torrence let up just two quarterback pressures on 45 pass-blocking snaps, and Conner surrendered four catches on five targets for a measly 19 yards.


Box Score

Passing
Kansas City Chiefs
Player Fantasy Comp/Att Yds YPA TD Int Long Sacks Rtg
Patrick Mahomes 18.5 17 / 23 215 9.3 2 0 32 0 131.6
Buffalo Bills
Player Fantasy Comp/Att Yds YPA TD Int Long Sacks Rtg
Josh Allen 30.64 26 / 39 186 4.8 1 0 15 0 86.1
Rushing
Kansas City Chiefs
Player Fantasy Car Yds YPC TD Long Fum Lost
Patrick Mahomes 18.5 6 19 3.2 0 24 0
Isiah Pacheco 18.1 15 97 6.5 1 29 0
Clyde Edwards-Helaire 4 2 31 15.5 0 28 0
Mecole Hardman Jr. 1.1 1 -1 -1 0 0 0
Buffalo Bills
Player Fantasy Car Yds YPC TD Long Fum Lost
Josh Allen 30.64 12 72 6 2 18 0
James Cook 12.2 18 61 3.4 0 8 0
Ty Johnson 6.4 7 40 5.7 0 15 0
Stefon Diggs 5.8 1 7 7 0 7 0
Damar Hamlin 0.2 1 2 2 0 2 0
Receiving
Kansas City Chiefs
Player Fantasy Tgt Rec Yds YPT YPR TD Long
Travis Kelce 24.5 6 5 75 12.5 15 2 29
Isiah Pacheco 18.1 1 1 14 14 14 0 14
Rashee Rice 8.7 4 4 47 11.8 11.8 0 25
Marquez Valdes-Scantling 8.2 4 2 62 15.5 31 0 32
Noah Gray 4.6 3 3 16 5.3 5.3 0 12
Clyde Edwards-Helaire 4 1 1 -1 -1 -1 0 0
Mecole Hardman Jr. 1.1 1 1 2 2 2 0 2
Justin Watson 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Buffalo Bills
Player Fantasy Tgt Rec Yds YPT YPR TD Long
Khalil Shakir 17.4 9 7 44 4.9 6.3 1 13
James Cook 12.2 5 4 21 4.2 5.2 0 8
Dalton Kincaid 9.5 5 5 45 9 9 0 14
Ty Johnson 6.4 1 1 14 14 14 0 14
Stefon Diggs 5.8 8 3 21 2.6 7 0 15
Latavius Murray 5.7 4 3 27 6.8 9 0 15
Trent Sherfield 1.7 3 1 7 2.3 7 0 7
Dawson Knox 1.4 1 1 4 4 4 0 4
Deonte Harty 1.3 1 1 3 3 3 0 3
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