A winning streak was exactly what the Kansas City Chiefs needed after their rocky start to the season. For a while, it looked like they had found their rhythm, rolling into Week 9 against the Buffalo Bills on a three-game high. But that run hit a wall on Sunday, as the Bills handed them a rough 28-21 loss.

That defeat surely stung, but the timing might just work in their favor. The Chiefs will now have a bye week before facing the Denver Broncos in Week 11. In fact, Head coach Andy Reid has already made it clear how he expects his guys to respond once they’re back.

“I’ve got a good locker room. Rest up and we’ll come back strong,” Reid said after the game. “So, that’s what we do. Guys that are nicked up here or throughout the year here, they got to make sure they get in and get worked on.”

Sunday marked the fourth time this season the Chiefs have fallen in a one-score game.  Reid and Co. now sit at 5-4 heading into the bye week. The head coach has already made it clear that the plan now is to rest up, reset, and come back stronger. Looking at their last performance, you can tell why.

Patrick Mahomes just had the worst game of the season against the Bills, and the offensive line just couldn’t protect him. The quarterback completed just 15-of-34 passes for 250 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

In the process, the Bills’ defense, in the absence of five starters, still managed to pressure Mahomes on 52.6% of his dropbacks, per Next Gen Stats. Even when rushing just four or fewer, they got to him on 44% of those plays. That’s the highest rate he’s faced all season against a standard push.

The defense didn’t do him any favors either. The Bills racked up 404 total yards, 263 through the air and 141 on the ground. Josh Allen looked sharp compared to Mahomes, completing 23 of 26 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown, with plenty of help from his go-to guys. James Cook once again carried the load on the ground, putting up 114 yards on 27 carries. Meanwhile, Dalton Kincaid added 101 receiving.

The Chiefs might’ve looked like favorites heading into Week 9. But as they hit the bye, consistency has to be the main focus, and Mahomes knows that better than anyone.

Patrick Mahomes addresses a lack of consistency

“We’ve had great moments, we’ve had bad moments,” Patrick Mahomes said after the game. “We’ve got to be more consistent as a team. I’ve got to be more consistent as a quarterback… It’s going to be an uphill battle when we get back, but I think our guys are up to it.”

Heading into the Week 9 game, The Chiefs looked strong again, riding high on a three-game winning streak. However, things went south at Highmark Stadium against the Bills. This highlighted exactly what Mahomes was talking about.

Buffalo gained 99 more yards than Kansas City. They had more first downs than the Chiefs (23 in comparison to 16), and held the ball nearly 10 minutes longer. The Bills’ defense exposed the Chiefs’ inconsistencies, showing why Mahomes stressed the need for steadiness.

A good example of what the QB meant came in the first half. KC marched all the way down to the Bills’ 1-yard line after a 40-yard dime to Marquise Brown. It looked like they were about to punch it in and even things up, but instead, they settled for a Harrison Butker field goal.

Keep in mind, the Chiefs came into this one allowing just 16.4 points per game, the second fewest in the league. But Buffalo flipped the script, outgaining them and dropping 21 points in the first half alone to take control early. Now, we’ll see how the team bounces back against Denver after the bye week.