Why the Bills Weren’t Running the Ball More

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, ready to throw a pass, watches his receiver get into a position during first half action at the Buffalo Bills divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 19, 2025.

In a season filled with electrifying performances, the Buffalo Bills have carved their niche by being the only team to topple the Kansas City Chiefs when the reigning champs haven’t been resting their starters. Flashback to their Week 11 duel, where the Bills executed a winning strategy that seemed almost too straightforward: commit to the run. And it worked splendidly.

When you think of the Chiefs, you think of offensive fireworks and a defense that can be caught off guard when facing an assertive ground game. The Bills exploited this vulnerability to perfection with 31 rushing attempts, tallying 104 yards and adding three touchdowns to the scoreboard. James Cook was the star on the ground, finding the end zone twice, while quarterback Josh Allen sealed the win with a dazzling 26-yard scramble touchdown, emblematic of his dual-threat prowess.

Fast forward to the high-stakes environment of Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, and one might expect the Bills to dust off the same blueprint. The Chiefs, despite their strengths, have shown cracks against the rush. Their mid-tier ranking in Defensive Adjusted Line Yards, coupled with subpar Power Success and Stuff Percentage, paints the picture of a defense that sometimes leaves lanes open for productive ground attacks. Yet, the first half didn’t fully reflect this potential. The Bills flirted with the run but didn’t lean into it as expected, instead allowing Allen to air it out more frequently—a move that met with mixed results.

Trailing 21-16 at halftime, the Bills needed a spark to change the narrative, and they found it by reverting to their bread and butter: the run game. Their response was a masterclass in ground-and-pound tactics. An 80-yard drive composed almost entirely of running plays highlighted their capability, capped by Cook’s agile one-yard dive into the end zone that nudged the Bills ahead by a single point.

Despite this success, the game’s dynamic shifted once more as the Bills strayed from their run-first strategy. Following a promising drive and a controversial call that saw Allen coming up short on fourth down, the momentum swung back to the Chiefs, who capitalized with a Patrick Mahomes touchdown and a successful two-point conversion. Facing a 29-22 deficit, Buffalo showcased Allen’s passing ability to tie the game, but conspicuously, the run game’s presence started to fade.

A brief comeback story unfolded with Curtis Samuel leveling the score at 29, but when it mattered most, the ground game was shelved. Cook, who was effective all game, appeared as nothing more than a bystander in the final offensive push. Instead of a ground assault to chew clock and wear down Kansas City’s defense, the Bills opted for the air—a decision that ultimately led to their downfall.

In retrospect, Joe Brady’s offensive play-calling might have benefitted from a heavier dose of run plays. Cook’s productive day, averaging over six yards per carry with two trips to the end zone, suggested that the Chiefs were ripe for the plucking on the ground. Yet, when it was time to hammer the nail home, Buffalo veered away from the rushing path that had previously laid out the roadmap to victory.

As the Bills nurse the wounds of another postseason exit, they are left pondering what could have been if they had trusted their running game a tad more. Looking ahead, the Philadelphia Eagles—a team that recently manhandled the Washington Commanders with a record-setting seven rushing touchdowns—will likely take note of the Chiefs’ Achilles’ heel and keep their foot on the pedal when it comes to the ground game.

For the Bills, the playoff exit stings, leaving a lingering “what if” over what might have been with just a little more mileage from their potent rushing attack.