The Chiefs trailed the Bills 24-13 at halftime of Week 5. They are tied 14-14 at intermission of Sunday’s divisional round playoff game after Harrison Butker missed a 50-yard field goal wide right on the final play of the first half.
The Bills gained 71 yards on their opening drive. They had only 101 with less than two minutes remaining in the half. But the Bills went 75 yards on their final drive of the half with the Chiefs playing without star safety Tyrann Mathieu, who went out on the opening drive with a concussion.
The Bills finished the half with 176 yards, but after not punting in the wild-card round against the Patriots, Buffalo punted twice in the first half Sunday.
The Chiefs, who get the second-half kickoff, had 199 yards in the first half.
They had a 12-play, 86-yard drive, eating 6:51 off the clock before scoring with 1:52 remaining. The Bills thought they had the Chiefs stopped on a third-down sack of Patrick Mahomes by Matt Milano. But corner Dane Jackson was called for defensive holding, giving the Chiefs an automatic first down.
The Chiefs scored three plays later on a 2-yard pass from Mahomes to Byron Pringle. The Bills called for an all-out blitz, and Mahomes bought a little time zigging and zagging in the backfield before firing toward Pringle.
Mahomes was 10-of-14 for 76 yards and a touchdown. He passed Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (2,777) for the most playoff passing yards in his first five seasons, according to Chiefs public relations.
Mahomes also has run for 49 yards on three carries — all on the first drive — including an 8-yard touchdown run.
The Bills answered the Chiefs with a seven-play, 75-yard drive, scoring with only 37 seconds left in the half. Josh Allen hit Gabriel Davis for an 18-yard score.
Allen has completed 15 of 18 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. He has run for 45 yards on five carries.
Devin Singletary has 15 yards and a touchdown on six carries.