Patrick Mahomes

The Kansas City Chiefs‘ perfect streak has come to an end, as the defending Super Bowl champions fell to the Buffalo Bills 30-21 on Sunday night, marking the first defeat of the season and halting a 15-game winning streak that stretched back to the previous year. In a nail-biting contest, the two teams exchanged leads multiple times over the first three quarters, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Bills faced a pivotal decision. Clinging to a slim lead with just over two minutes remaining, head coach Sean McDermott opted for boldness rather than caution.

Instead of attempting a field goal that would have increased their lead to five points, McDermott trusted Josh Allen to convert a critical 4th-and-2.

The quarterback broke free for a stunning 26-yard touchdown run, a play so spectacular it was immediately dubbed “the play of the year” by commentators.

That moment effectively sealed Buffalo’s victory, leaving Mahomes and the Chiefs with little room to maneuver. A subsequent interception by Mahomes on the Chiefs‘ final drive extinguished any hopes of a comeback.

Meanwhile, Mahomes‘ trainer, Bobby Stroupe, acknowledged the Bills’ victory on social media, offering both congratulations and a subtle dig in his remarks.

“Buffalo with the 5th consecutive regular season Super Bowl championship,” he noted. “Seriously great game. See y’all down the road. Respect.”

An intense rivalry

The matchup highlighted the growing rivalry between two of the league’s premier quarterbacks. While Allen has now bested Mahomes in four of their five regular-season meetings, postseason battles tell a different story.

The Chiefs have consistently denied the Bills their playoff breakthrough, including a pair of dramatic wins in recent years.

Kansas City’s dominance over Buffalo in the playoffs began with the 2020 AFC Championship, where Mahomes and company cruised to victory. Their next meeting a year later became one of the NFL’s most unforgettable playoff games.

Despite Allen’s heroics, the Chiefs managed a miraculous game-tying drive with just 13 seconds remaining before prevailing in overtime. That game was so impactful it prompted a revision of the league’s overtime rules.