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          NFL Nation

          Sammy Watkins up, Rex Ryan down in Bills' loss

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          Wide receivers get the game balls for Chiefs, Bills (1:15)

          ESPN NFL Nation reporters Adam Teicher and Mike Rodak say Kansas City's Jeremy Maclin and Buffalo's Sammy Watkins were the stars for their respective teams. (1:15)

          • Mike Rodak, ESPN Staff WriterNov 29, 2015, 06:50 PM ET
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            • Previously covered the Patriots for ESPNBoston.com
            • Providence College graduate
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          A look at Buffalo Bills players who were "up" and those who were "down" in Sunday's 30-22 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs:

          UP

          Sammy Watkins: Why Watkins was held without a catch in the second half will be dissected for the next several days -- Rex Ryan said the Chiefs adjusted their defense and played a safety "a zillion yards deep" -- but either way, his first-half performance was worthy of praise. Watkins' 158 receiving yards at halftime were the second-most this season behind Antonio Brown's 180 yards in Week 9.

          DOWN

          Rex Ryan: He effectively went 0-for-5 on his challenges, unsuccessfully challenging two plays in the game and failing to challenge three others, including a 37-yard catch by Jeremy Maclin in the second quarter that led directly to a Chiefs touchdown. After similar but less-costly game-management problems against the New York Jets earlier this month, it's been a rough stretch for the Bills' coach in that department.

          Ronald Darby: The rookie cornerback was closest in coverage on two Kansas City touchdowns: a 41-yarder by Maclin in the second quarter and a 15-yard score by Travis Kelce in the third quarter. Darby, who has been playing at a rookie-of-the-year level until this point, left the game briefly to enter the concussion protocol.

          Dan Carpenter: The kicker missed his third extra point of the season in the second quarter, altering the Bills' strategy when they scored a touchdown in the third quarter. Down eight points in that situation, they attempted a two-point conversion that failed. Had Carpenter been successful with his early-game PAT, he would have entered the game to kick another extra point after that third-quarter touchdown, likely tying the score.