Close, but not quite. That’s been the story for all four of the Kansas City Chiefs’ losses this season. But with the Chiefs falling 28-21 against the Buffalo Bills in Week 9, there’s one more milestone franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes & Co. failed to mount. One that played out not on the field, but on millions of television screens across the nation.

The Week 9 clash between the two AFC giants pulled a whopping 30.8 million viewers on CBS. Impressive, right? We’re not even counting the 70+K people who showed up to watch the game. This clash became the second most-watched NFL regular-season game this year. The top spot, though, is still held by the Chiefs. 

The biggest game of this season remains the Super Bowl rematch between the Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2. That showdown drew a bigger audience pool of 33.8 million. Against the Bills, though, Kansas City failed to surpass its own season high. However, the team is on its way to some viewership records in the 2025 campaign. 

Even ESPN’s week 5 matchup between the Vikings and the Chiefs averaged 22.3 million viewers, making it the most-watched week 5 game of the network’s MNF since 2006. 

These matchups have proven to be one of the most compelling stories in football this season. But there’s more to this than just the teams’ viewership. 

The Chiefs-Bills clash was CBS’s best Week 9 NFL audience since 2007. It’s a clear sign that the NFL’s gripping narratives are back stronger than ever. Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes brings the kind of excitement that translates into top-tier ratings. And the upcoming Thanksgiving clash between KC and the Dallas Cowboys could break these current rankings, too. 

But that’s all about the coming weeks. While we’re talking about the Bills vs. Chiefs game, we’ve also got to talk about the one record the Chiefs have sustained. Spoiler alert: it’s not a good one. 

Josh Allen breaks records as Patrick Mahomes barely manages to score

On the field, the Bills made a statement. Josh Allen was clinical. He found 10 different targets and threw one touchdown. Allen also added two rushing touchdowns, making it the second straight game where he did this. The cherry on top? Allen posted a career-best completion rate of 88.5%. But across the field, the story was quite different.

This Week 9 loss marked the 5th game where Patrick Mahomes fell to Allen in the regular season. History suggests that if they meet in the postseason, the Chiefs will run away with a win. But if Mahomes’ stats are anything to go by, it’s going to be quite the uphill climb to reach that place this season.

Mahomes finished the game with 250 yards, one pick, and 3 sacks. He finished with a career-low 44.1% completion rate for a regular-season game. The Bills’ secondary crushed the Chiefs’ rhythm, forcing critical mistakes and keeping them limited.

The fourth quarter saw the Chiefs spark a comeback with running back Kareem Hunt’s touchdown and a two-point conversion. The Chiefs’ secondary even forced a punt. But the Chiefs’ next 5-play drive ended with Mahomes’ interception. A series of incompletions on the very last drive of the game also didn’t help make things easier for the Chiefs.

The Chiefs now go on bye while the Bills continue to carve out their AFC dominance. Even Mahomes’ MVP stock took a plunge after this game. When Patrick Mahomes next takes the field, will KC have ironed out its flaws? That’s something we’ll only find out through Week 11 and beyond.