In dissecting the Buffalo Bills’ 27-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., the answer to what went wrong was readily apparent, according to former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher during CBS’ postgame show.
Cowher didn’t mince words, pointing out that the Bills lacked big plays, and everything seemed to be a grind. He highlighted the absence of plays over 20 yards and the absence of a substantial passing game for the Bills. Cowher observed three significant dropped passes, emphasizing that the team was one-dimensional, relying heavily on the running game and Josh Allen’s individual efforts.
Despite dominating time of possession with around 37 minutes compared to the Chiefs’ 23, and achieving a balance with 182 rushing yards and 186 passing yards, the Bills struggled to create explosive plays. Their average of 4.8 yards per pass contrasted starkly with the Chiefs’ 9.3. Even though the Bills had some success on the ground, their longest run was limited to 18 yards.
“Buffalo had no big plays. Everything was a grind. No plays over 20 yards. There was no passing game that existed for the Buffalo Bills. It was all sideways. We saw three big dropped passes,” Cowher said.
“They were one-dimensional. They were just a running football team, and they were on the back of Josh Allen, who was trying to do it all.”
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Cowher also noted the impact of Gabe Davis’ absence due to a knee injury, suggesting that it hurt the team’s performance. The Bills, despite hosting the Chiefs in the playoffs, couldn’t secure a victory, marking their third loss to the Chiefs in the playoffs in the last four years.
