The Chiefs and the Bills square off on another cold January day in a Divisional Round matchup that is a tale as old as time.
Will Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills finally make it past a Kansas City Chiefs team in the postseason? Many believe so, especially since the Chiefs will be traveling for the first playoff game in Patrick Mahomes‘ career that was not at home or a neutral site. Others feel the weather will have an impact, and it might; however, these are two teams used to cold weather in January.
Perhaps fans have a case of winning fatigue regarding the Chiefs, so people will grasp at anything to try and predict their downfall. No team is perfect, and any given Sunday is not just a mantra some like to pull out of their arsenal as they attempt to describe the playoff atmosphere.
A win for the Bills would be huge for the team. Despite defeating the Chiefs in the regular season, they have not been able to crack the code on beating them in the postseason. Allen is 5-4 in the postseason, and Mahomes is 12-3 if you include the three Super Bowls he has played in.
Surprisingly, these two teams have only met in the postseason five times, with Kansas City leading 3-2 in the matchups. The last time the Chiefs were in Buffalo in the postseason was on January 23, 1994, for the AFC Championship. We all know how that ended.
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Game Info
Date: January 21, 2024
Start time: 6:30 pm. EST
Location: Orchard Park, NY
Stadium: Highmark Stadium
TV Info: CBS
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of DraftKings.
Point Spread: KC +2.5(+100), BUF -2.5(-120)
Moneyline: KC +124, BUF -148
Over/Under: 45.5 KC (-110), BUF(-110)
The Chiefs are slight underdogs in this game, so do with that as you will. Considering the weather, the game might be a grind, and it is possible the Chiefs can upset the favored Bills.
What To Watch For
If the Bills are going to get past the Chiefs and get one step closer to the Super Bowl, several things will need to happen. One is that Allen plays like he never has before. Two, the defense for the Chiefs will need to have a bad, bad night. Three, an off-night for Mahomes and the offense. The Bills will need those Chiefs receivers to drop those passes like they are hot.
Allen will struggle to pass against this Chiefs defense. However, look for Allen to run the ball if he cannot get the ball to any of his receivers. They will use this to try and keep Kansas City off-balance. Steve Spagnuolo’s defense will hopefully have planned for this and will have plays to offset Allen’s ability to run the ball.
The Chiefs will need to continue to be their playoff selves, and Mahomes’ receivers will need to tape the ball to their hands somehow. With Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore out of the game and several other offensive players on the injured list, Mahomes will need to do all he can to make magic happen. It might be possible for the passing game to work for the Chiefs due to the Buffalo defense. However, the players still have to come down with the ball.
The game might be a grinder, which tends to favor Kansas City, thanks to their defense. It will be a close game, and the winner will be the team with the least mistakes.
