The Buffalo Bills bottled up Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in a 28-21 win on Sunday, igniting one of the sharpest rounds of criticism the three-time Super Bowl champion has faced in his professional career. Beyond the final score, the box score carried a striking headline: Mahomes posted a 44.1% completion rate, the lowest of his NFL career and the first time he has finished below 50% in any game.
While context matters—and Buffalo supplied plenty—Mahomes’ off day has become a flashpoint for a Chiefs offense that’s struggled to find rhythm against elite, well-coached defenses.
The numbers: A rare off day for No. 15
– Completion percentage: 44.1% (career low)
– Result: Chiefs lose 28-21 to Bills
– Offensive output: 21 points despite inefficiency and pressure
Even in defeat, Kansas City managed three touchdowns, which complicates any full-scale indictment of Mahomes’ performance. But the efficiency collapse was stark, especially for a quarterback synonymous with precision and playmaking under duress.
Why it happened: Buffalo’s pressure and disruption
Some of Mahomes’ struggles were born from the Bills’ execution:
– Consistent pressure: Buffalo logged three sacks and forced numerous hurried throws.
– Disrupted timing: Quick edges and interior push compressed pockets, shrinking Mahomes’ platform and windows.
– Coverage discipline: Safeties and underneath zones closed off hallmark Chiefs route concepts, forcing lower-percentage attempts outside the numbers and late in the down.
This was a classic blueprint: compress the pocket, muddy the intermediate middle, and force Kansas City into contested one-on-ones without clean after-the-catch runway.
The critique: Harsh grades and fair questions
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski gave Mahomes an F in his weekly QB report cards—one of only two failing grades in Week 9, alongside Tua Tagovailoa in Miami’s 28-6 loss to Baltimore. The grade underscores how far Mahomes fell below his own standard, even if some observers see it as severe given the Chiefs still reached 21 points.
Fair critiques:
– Ball placement and timing were off more than usual.
– Kansas City struggled to sustain drives when pressured early in the down.
– The offense lacked consistent answers when forced out of structure.
Counterpoints:
– The Bills’ front and coverage shell earned the right to dictate terms.
– Despite inefficiency, Mahomes still manufactured scoring drives.
– Drops, protection issues, and route spacing lapses contributed to the overall picture.
Bigger picture: An offense searching for clean answers
Kansas City’s ceiling remains high, but opponents with top-10 defenses have increasingly succeeded by:
– Winning early downs with pressure and run fits, pushing KC into long-yardage.
– Taking away staple middle-of-field windows and forcing boundary throws.
– Disrupting spacing on scramble drills, where Mahomes often flips scripts.
The Chiefs’ counterpunch must include:
– Quicker in-breakers and option routes to beat leverage pre-snap.
– More motion and condensed splits to create free releases and rub elements.
– A steadier run game to keep defenses honest and lighten the pass-rush load.
– Protection adjustments—chip help, max protect on shot plays, and slide calls tailored to elite rushers.
What’s next: Timely bye, high-stakes return
The Week 10 bye arrives at a perfect moment. It offers:
– A reset for protection calls and hot-route cohesion.
– Self-scouting to refine route timing and spacing versus two-high shells.
– Health and mental reset after a physical, emotionally charged loss.
Week 11 brings a 7-2 Denver Broncos team with real AFC West implications. Given how compact the conference race is, Kansas City can’t afford lingering offensive turbulence.
Bottom line
– Mahomes posted the lowest completion percentage of his career (44.1%) in a 28-21 loss to Buffalo—a statistical low that matches the eye test of a disrupted day.
– The Bills earned credit with pressure and disciplined coverage that forced lower-probability throws and broke Mahomes’ usual rhythm.
– The criticism, including an F grade from Bleacher Report, reflects how far the outing fell below Mahomes’ norm; still, context—sacks, pressure, and supporting-cast miscues—matters.
– The bye week sets up a crucial recalibration. If the Chiefs tighten protection, sharpen pre-snap answers, and restore their middle-of-field efficiency, this performance will read as an outlier rather than a trend.
Mahomes has built a career out of rapid course corrections. The next two weeks will test how quickly Kansas City can translate harsh lessons into cleaner, more sustainable offense—before the AFC race leaves no margin for error.
