This Sunday night, Buffalo improved to 5-1 against Kansas City in their last six meetings, but they remain 0-4 against those same Chiefs in the postseason during that same span. It’s a rivalry that never quite settles, leaving the home crowd fiery as ever. So, when Travis Kelce took a heavy hit and walked toward the locker room, some Bills fans even erupted in cheers at the sight of a possible injury. Yet, the Kansas City Chiefs‘ star later spoke with unexpected admiration for the atmosphere. 

“This one was a tough one. Going up to Buffalo is not an easy thing. That stadium was rocking. That place was electric,” Kelce said on Episode 163 of the New Heights podcast. “Shout out to all the Bills Mafia that was talking all the shit in the world. I love it. It’s a sacred place to play a football game. But that shit sucks, don’t come away with a victory out there, cuz they let you have it. And it’s frustrating.”

Late in the second quarter, Kelce took a heavy shot to the chest from Bills safety Cole Bishop while reaching for a pass near the end zone. He went down hard and was slow to get up, briefly heading to the locker room as the crowd roared. Cameras caught him still engaging with fans, gesturing and repeating “I love it” even as some sections cheered what looked like an injury. Moments later, sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson confirmed he’d been cleared to return, and Kelce finished the game with four catches for 66 yards. The Chiefs lost 28–21, but the tight end’s restraint stood out. And this wasn’t even the first time Bills fans have crossed that line.

Over the past few seasons, there have been several moments when tensions between Buffalo Bills fans and the Chiefs have boiled over, both on and off the field.

For example, in January 2024, after Kansas City’s playoff win in Buffalo, videos showed Chiefs players, including Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, being pelted with snowballs as they walked toward the tunnel. Even Taylor Swift, who attended the game to support Kelce, faced loud boos from parts of the crowd. 

Later that year, ahead of a regular-season meeting, a Kermit-the-Frog mannequin dressed in a Mahomes jersey was found hanging outside a Buffalo tailgate spot. Not only did it draw massive backlash online, but Mahomes’ family also responded publicly, calling the display disturbing. In fact, ahead of this Bills-Chiefs matchup, Mahomes bluntly said, “They don’t like us.”

While these are just a few incidents, it’s worth noting that it (obviously) hasn’t been one-sided. 

Chiefs fans have taken their share of jabs, too. For example, that one time when a visiting fan spotted wearing a “13 Seconds” jersey in Buffalo was a clear reminder of Kansas City’s playoff heartbreak for the Bills in 2022. Or when, after the 2024 playoff win, Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill even fired back at Bills fans on social media, joking that his four-year-old “throws a meaner snowball than #BillsMafia.”

Still, for all the tension off the field during this match, Kelce couldn’t stop thinking about one moment he wished had gone differently.

Travis Kelce reflects on a costly miss against Buffalo

On the same podcast episode, Kelce revisited one play he wishes he could take back, a missed end-zone catch before halftime that could’ve changed how the game played out.

“I’m looking at this score right here, 21-28. And if I find a way to get my head and hands around on the pass that Pat [Mahomes] through me in the end zone right before half, I feel like we have a better chance at getting a field goal there late instead of a touchdown,” Kelce said.

Late in the second quarter, Mahomes threw two incomplete passes near the goal line, giving the Bills a chance to breathe. Right after that, Harrison Butker kicked a 19-yard field goal to make it 21-13. But that missed connection could have shifted momentum.

As Kelce said, it could have been a touchdown and might have given the Chiefs a better chance to fight back. But the whole night was a miss for Kansas City. Even Mahomes couldn’t show his usual magic.

Mahomes attempted 34 passes but completed only 15, his lowest this season with a 44.1 completion rate. He threw for 450 yards and rushed for just 5, finishing the game with one interception and no touchdowns.

After the bye, the Chiefs head to Denver Broncos for a key divisional matchup that could help them regain rhythm before the tougher stretch of their schedule. And if they meet with the Bills again in the playoffs this season, we know it will be a close one.