Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop drilled a 35 yard field goal with :05 left in overtime as the Chiefs managed to hold off the winless Buffalo Bills, 13-10 Sunday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs improve to 5-2 and remain unbeaten at home at 4-0.
Bills’ kicker Rian Lindell clanked one off the right upright earlier in overtime from 53 yards out to keep the Chiefs alive. This came after Todd Haley called timeout just as Lindell was going to attempt the game winner on his first try. The officials blew the whistle in time as Lindell’s kicked sailed through the uprights. That’s when Lindell knuckled his second try.
I thought Bills’ coach Chan Gailey really blew the opportunity for his team to win the game. After the Bills tied the game with 2:23 to go on a four yard touchdown pass, they had one final chance in regulation, but Gailey continued to try to throw the football as they closed in on the Chiefs’ 40 yard line. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a pass intercepted by rookie Eric Berry forcing overtime.
On the Bills’ opening possession of OT, they had 1st and 10 from KC’s 43 and Gailey called for three straight passes. After two incompletions and a three yard gain, Buffalo had to punt. On their second possession, they had the ball 1st and 10 from KC’s 37 and again they attempted three passes never getting any closer than Lindell’s 53 yard attempt.
The Chiefs actually had a chance to win the game with 3:38 to play, but Succop hooked a potential game winner from 39 yards out. Buffalo drove again to KC’s 42 yard line and Gailey called for three passes in a row, leading to three incompletions.
Now, after seeing Gailey’s play calling, I can see why Haley fired Gailey as his offensive coordinator before last year, when Haley decided to call plays. I’ve never been a big Chan Gailey fan. I think his decision making is awful. In three trips in overtime…with the ball inside the Chiefs 42, he called for nine pass plays which resulted in a total of six yards, three of which came on a scramble from Fitzpatrick and an intentional grounding call.
Matt Cassel hit Dwayne Bowe with one yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to put the Chiefs up 7-0. Succop hit a 28 yard field goal with 9:36 to go in the fourth quarter to put KC up 10-3. Cassel finished 14-26 for 152 yards. Jamaal Charles gained 177 yards on 22 carries and Thomas Jones added 77 yards on 19 carries.
