UKBillFan

@GunnerBill - with no offence intended to anyone else, I rate you as the most knowledgeable poster on the board so would really like to know your full opinion on McDermott over Beane, as you disagreed with keeping the current GM over the HC.

I'd keep Beane ahead of McDermott. Decent GMs are harder to find than decent coaches - not that the latter is easy either.

The defense was looking ropey even before Benford's injury. Though considering it ended up being a three point game...

I'd say his defense made two key plays when they needed to. The bat down for the final 3rd down, which was fantastic player execution (albeit... O Line?) and the disguised blitz on 4th. QBs will miss that from time to time and Spags is elite. I doubt any QB but Josh would have even got the ball away there. Of course there's stopping the sneak too. I'm more aggrieved at the call on Kincaid's spot on the previous down than what happened on 4th and inches from an officiating angle.

The difference is Mahomes' defense, coaching, passing catchers and line helped him out yesterday. By your own admission, Josh's didn't. Edit: Do you know what Kelce would have done in Kincaid's position yesterday? Brown? Worthy? They would have caught the ball. And that's why Mahomes is, rarely questioned. His team comes up for him in tight spots.

How did Mahomes do in his last proper possession where he really needed a TD to extend the Chiefs lead with the clock ticking?

Only for the Eagles, though.

Bull. Your hatred of Josh is blinding you. Switch QBs and the result would be the same. There was not that much of a difference in quality. If Kincaid caught the ball - as he should have done - we'd be talking about what a great play it was. Look at Worthy on that incompletion/interception/questionable call. That could have easily gone differently but someone else made a play for Mahomes. Someone else helped him out. That doesn't happen for Josh. In terms of receivers, he has to practically do it all himself. And where was Cook? Where was the help from the run game? Why did coaching have the offense come out passing instead of offering easy passes and runs to ease them into the game - see the Chiefs first drive? Why did the Bills continue going with the sneaks when they weren't working? If you want to whine about someone crapping the bed look at Brady. Everyone at the Bills could take some blame for last night. But Josh should be at the bottom, or near the bottom of the list.

Their QB who hasn't seen his team score 30 or more all season until McDermott's wondrous defense came to town. Their QB who fumbled the ball under no pressure too, and also took an almost unforgivable sack in the red zone which cost his team the chance of a TD to extent their lead. Mahomes is great, there is no doubt about it. But last night's result wasn't down to the QBs. It was down to coaching, the respective defenses at the death and, as always, some interesting calls from those in stripes.

Nerves did get to Josh in the first which was a shame because I thought he'd sorted them out. That is a concern and something, the one thing, more than anything, he needs to work on. However, he was was not the QB who fumbled the ball. He was not the one to mess up in the red zone and had to take a FG from a great position for a TD. Mahomes and Josh were both good enough to win last night. The difference was bad calls, from Brady (no Cook and a lack of change from/to the sneak), McDermott/Babich (Spags adjusted to the sneak rolling left. The Bills coordinators? Just keep Mahomes running to the right without a stop) and the officials (I'm more peeved at the spot on Kincaid's play than the subsequent 'failed' sneak. And then we have the so-called Worthy completion). Switch QBs and the Chiefs would have still won last night. Switch defenses and it would be the Bills going to the SB. If there was a switch coaches? Think the Bills would have made it.

The Chiefs aren't going to the SB because of Mahomes. He's a key piece but, swap him with Josh, and the results would be the same. Their defense is a class apart as is Reid's/Spag's coaching.

Funny that. The MVP candidate last week made two turnovers yet all the talk was about Andrews dropping the ball and fumbling. Yet it always was.

Let's face facts. Like the majority of their time here they made a relative success because of Josh. As a GM and HC, your time is often dictated by your pick at QB more than anything and, whilst they've had quite a few draft busts since, Josh was not one of them. He was in the MVP discussion despite a much weaker receiving room than the Bengals, Ravens, Chiefs, Eagles, Lions, Rams, Vikings... you name it. And even when Cooper came in, Brady seemed clueless as how to integrate him. Shakir could be growing into a stud (Tom Brady's favourite word) and that seems to their only long term hope. In truth, McDermott and Beane are safe as long as Josh says they're safe. If he starts throwing his weight around and saying he wants change, then Pegula will either have to listen to trade him. I do not think Josh is the kind of person to do that, though. On a personal level, the one disappointment from last night when it came to 17 is I thought he'd got his nerves under control. Clearly he still needs some work on them early on. But again, Brady could have helped him with easy throws and a run game during the first series.

Think I'm right in saying 30th? The Commanders take the 29th based on regular season record.

If we're expecting the defense to flounder to that extent against the Chiefs then thank goodness the Bills aren't going to the Super Bowl - as the Eagles would put up 40+ against it without blinking. And their defense isn't as bad as the Rams or stricken Lions.

I'd agree. I just think some posters are trying to say the offense is more to blame for the defeat. I'd say it's the other way around. The offense got us to 29 - against that defense, which is far better than the injury bitten Lions or the Rams, that's very good going. It could have been more, but the Chiefs would/will be saying the same thing. On the final drive, there was a miscommunication between Josh and Shakir, then a batted down play, then the drop. It happens, sadly. For all the improvements on offense it feels like the expectation is Josh needs to be superman to win games still. It's not feasible, as tonight shows.

Or apportion blame appropriately rather than disproportionately calling out the offense.

Only one team has scored 27 or more on the Chiefs all season (excluding the week 18 walkover). We follow them. Actually only one other has scored more than 25 - the Panthers in week 12.

Probably deserve that! Just think tonight was more on the defense than offense (though the offense shouldn't be completely absolved of blame).

I just think crap can happen. Look at last week. The Bills only definitively got to this game because Jackson and Andrews miscued on a wide open two pointer. At the end of the day, the offense went to Arrowhead and scored the second highest number of points to be put up on the Chiefs all season. Could it have been more? Yes. Would the Chiefs be saying the same had they lost? Yes. They'd be questioning the mess of a red zone which meant they had to take the FG rather than TD. Or Mahomes' needless fumble. Both offenses miscued. Both did enough to win the game nine times out of ten. I'm not trying to absolve the offense from blame but switch defenses and the Bills are in the SB. Switch offenses and it's still the Chiefs who make it.

If you're sensitive to being made to look like a fool in public I would stop posting for a bit.

I'd say 35/65 offense/defense. Not all on the defense, but taking the season average is misleading when you consider they 'only' managed 30 with home field advantage in week 11. Logic would say they would score less as Arrowhead. As it was, one point less. Every other team has managed to hold the Chiefs to 27 or less at Arrowhead in regulation this season. Ravens 27, Bengals 26, Saints 26, Bucs 24, Broncos 16, Raiders 19, Chargers 19, Texans 27 then 23. Are we saying the Bills defense is worse than all of these teams? If so, it's a miracle they got this far.

Other than the throwaway game in week 18, the Chiefs have not let an opposing team score more than 27 all season except on two occasions. 30 against the Bills at OP and 29 tonight. The offense has misuses, and the ruddy run to the left sneak should forever be questioned through the annals of time, but the Chiefs defense is elite. It will be interesting to see how many points the Eagles put up on them on a neutral field in two weeks time.

It's the off field version of Kelce's witchcraft in always finding himself open when it matters. Reid and co seem to make opposition coaches do ridiculous things when facing them in the post season.

I personally think that's underestimating the Chiefs defense. If you told me they would score 32 I'd say the Bills would lose unless everything fell perfectly. And it's not fair to consistently ask the offense to be perfect to hold up the defense. The defense didn't even have to be perfect themselves. Hold the Chiefs below 30. They had only hit that mark once in regulation across the entire season, and that was against the Panthers. Did the offense have issues? Yes. Is that the reason the Bills lost? No.