Before facing the Buffalo Bills, the Kansas City Chiefs were cruising on a three-game winning streak. Everything seemed to click until Sunday. The Bills defended their turf and handed the Chiefs a 28-21 loss. The energy among the fans might have dipped, but inside that locker room, Patrick Mahomes made sure it didn’t stay that way for long. Instead, he stepped up and sent a clear message to his teammates.

“We got to learn from it. But it’s kind of like, you got to do it now. Like, there’s no easy game coming up, and there’s no more chances that we can really take losses. So I mean, you got to learn from it fast. And we got to be better as a team,” he said.

Those words hit differently. He wasn’t just talking about the next game; he was setting the tone for the rest of the season. The Chiefdom could sense the frustration, but also the determination in his voice.

Statistically, it wasn’t Mahomes’ best night. By his standards, it was below average. He went 15-of-34 for 250 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. Meanwhile, Josh Allen put on a show for Buffalo. The Bills’ quarterback completed 23 of 26 passes: an 88.5% completion record for 273 yards. Allen was efficient, composed, and sharp. Mahomes, on the other hand, looked out of rhythm, and the offense just couldn’t finish drives.

So naturally, Mahomes wasn’t happy with how the offense performed.

“Offensively, we got to be better, especially on some of those big drives we had in the second half. And I think we’ll just continue to push away and learn on this bye week. And then come back and be ready to play our best football coming off of it.”

He knows what this team can do. It’s about putting it together when it counts most. After the game, Mahomes also talked about the one series that changed the rhythm of the night.

Patrick Mahomes talks about the failed red zone series

That series started with a good play, a 40-yard strike to Marquise Brown that set the Chiefs up at the one. From there, it unraveled fast. Kareem Hunt failed to produce. Then Mahomes missed his next two throws, including one to Travis Kelce in the end zone. They settled for a 19-yard field goal from Harrison Butker. Sure, it added points, but Mahomes knew it should’ve been seven. That moment could’ve flipped the game.

“We’ve got to find a way to get into the end zone… I’ve got to be better there. Situationally, we’ve got to be better. We had a couple of those where we didn’t execute…” he said.

Later, he got a shot at redemption. After Matt Prater’s 52-yard kick clanged off the upright, Mahomes had the ball on his own 42 with 22 seconds left. He hit Xavier Worthy for 18 yards, but then came three straight incompletions. Game over.

Now, the Chiefs sit at 5-4 heading into their bye week. Sure, the loss stings, but there’s no time to sulk. They’ll need that reset before returning on November 16 against the red-hot Denver Broncos.