Madden Simulation: Chiefs face the Bills in a critical Week 9 game

The Kansas City Chiefs open the game sluggishly, going three-and-out on their first possession. Facing a third-and-one, Kansas City turns to running back Kareem Hunt, but the Buffalo Bills‘ defensive line stuffs the run for a loss, forcing an early punt.

The Bills respond with a drive straight out of the Chiefs’ own playbook — a long, methodical march that drains the clock and sets the tone. Buffalo goes 85 yards on 13 plays, eating up more than six and a half minutes before tight end Dalton Kincaid finds the end zone on a curl route to put the Bills on top early.

End of first quarter: Bills 7, Chiefs 0

The first play of the quarter brings fireworks for the Chiefs. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes goes deep to wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who torches his defender by five yards on a post route for a 40-yard touchdown.

Buffalo’s knack for converting on third down continues. Quarterback Josh Allen fires a dart to wideout Khalil Shakir for a 43-yard gain, setting up the Bills in scoring position. On the next play, Allen draws Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton offsides, and running back James Cook capitalizes with a 19-yard rush.

A few plays later, wide receiver Elijah Moore wins off the line on a quick slant and hauls in a touchdown to put the Bills back in front.

The Chiefs manage to respond before halftime — though not with a touchdown. Kicker Harrison Butker drills a 31-yard field goal to trim the deficit to three with under two minutes remaining.

The Bills have a chance to extend their lead before the break but mismanage the clock in the closing seconds. They reach the Chiefs’ 25-yard line but run out of time before getting a play off, taking a missed opportunity into the locker room. They’ll receive the kickoff to open the second half.

End of second quarter: Bills 14, Chiefs 10

The Bills open the second half with a first down but stall soon after, punting following an incomplete pass on third-and-12.

Kansas City’s next drive gains momentum when tight end Travis Kelce moves the chains with a catch across midfield. However, the play comes at a cost, as rookie guard Kingsley Suamataia leaves the game with an apparent upper-body injury.

Facing third down later in the drive, Mahomes steps up in the pocket and unleashes another deep strike to Worthy. The speedster hauls it in for a 39-yard touchdown — his second of the day — giving the Chiefs their first lead of the game.

End of third quarter: Chiefs 17, Bills 14

Allen tries to keep the Bills’ offense rolling, taking a deep shot to Shakir on third-and-10 from the Chiefs’ 41-yard line — but the pass sails six or seven yards out of bounds. Kicker Matt Prater comes on for his first attempt of the day and drills a 59-yard field goal to tie the game.

Buffalo’s defense comes out aggressively on the next drive, but that aggression proves costly. Two offside penalties extend the Chiefs’ possession, including one on third down that results in a Kansas City first down.

Mahomes methodically moves the offense into the red zone, connecting with Hunt on a Texas route for a 17-yard gain to set up first-and-goal. A few plays later, Mahomes caps the drive himself — leaping and diving into the end zone for a touchdown to give the Chiefs the lead with just under three minutes remaining.

On the Bills’ next drive, Chiefs cornerback Kevin Knowles — earning a bit of “Madden Simulation Legend” status — makes a game-changing interception in the dime package.

Head coach Andy Reid wastes no time capitalizing. On the very next play, Mahomes hits wide receiver Rashee Rice for 15 yards to move the Chiefs inside the Bills’ five-yard line. The Chiefs then lean on the run game, forcing the Bills to burn all three timeouts. After being stopped short on third down just before the two-minute warning, Mahomes and the offense stay on the field for fourth-and-goal at the one. The gamble pays off, as Mahomes finds wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on an in-breaking route for the touchdown to seal the game.

The Bills add a late touchdown and a successful two-point conversion, but it isn’t enough. The Chiefs hold on for a decisive win, overcoming an early deficit to take control in the second half.

Final score: Chiefs 31, Bills 25

In Week 10, the Kansas City Chiefs are on their bye. They’ll return in Week 11 for a road game against the Denver Broncos — and we’ll give you a preview from the EA Universe!