ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- A few thoughts on the Buffalo Bills' 17-13 loss Sunday to the Kansas City Chiefs at Ralph Wilson Stadium:
What it means: Quite the ugly loss. After leading 10-3 at halftime, the Bills (5-4) collapsed in the second half and fell to 2-3 at home on the season. As for why they lost, look no further than the Bills' inability to punch the ball into the end zone. In four red zone trips the Bills settled for two field goals, had a Bryce Brown fumble into the end zone result in a touchback and turned the ball over on downs at the 15-yard line late in the fourth quarter. Another strong effort from the defense was wasted.
Stock watch: Kyle Orton, down. The veteran didn't turn the ball over, but he just wasn't good enough to win this game. After posting a career-high passer rating in a Week 8 win over the New York Jets, Orton's rating dropped to 81.9 in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. The Bills' offensive line held up relatively well against a stout Chiefs pass rush, so it wasn't necessarily a case of pressure. Orton just wasn't accurate when he needed to get the job done, especially in four red zone trips.
Watkins, Jackson quiet: Both Sammy Watkins and Fred Jackson were active and played in Sunday's game, but the Bills turned mostly to others in the offense. Jackson finished with 3 yards on 10 carries. The Bills leaned more on Anthony Dixon (nine carries, 62 yards) and Bryce Brown (seven carries, 35 yards), but Brown's third-quarter fumble as he was about to score was a turning point. Meanwhile, Watkins caught four passes for 27 yards as Orton focused more on Chris Hogan (five catches, 57 yards, one touchdown) and Robert Woods (six catches, 52 yards) in the passing game.
Game ball: DT Marcell Dareus. For the second time this season, Dareus tallied three sacks in a game. He now has a team-high 10 sacks on the season. As is typically the case, Dareus wasn't the only one providing pressure. Jerry Hughes added two sacks while Mario Williams had another.
What's next: This will be a short week and a quick turnaround for the Bills. Players will be back in the facility Monday and Tuesday, their normal off day, before traveling Wednesday. The Bills take on the Miami Dolphins (5-4) on Thursday night, their only prime-time game of the season.
