Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has never lost to the Buffalo Bills at Orchard Park. He’s a perfect 2-0, including last year’s AFC Divisional battle. On Sunday, he intends to leave Buffalo with a win and make a resounding statement the Chiefs are the singular power in the AFC.
The Buffalo Bills’ biggest game is on Sunday. As in the last four years, their regular-season contests with the Kansas City Chiefs have all been instant classics.
Both teams have more at stake as Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen enter their eighth meeting. Despite their lengthy injuries, both will likely see each other again in January. Whichever team wins Sunday could gain momentum for the postseason rematch.
The Bills seem to own the Chiefs in Kansas City and vice versa in Buffalo. However, Mahomes has only had one road game in Buffalo during the Covid year.
The Bills won in Kansas City last year, and that bitter loss lasted for weeks with the Chiefs. Eventually, they overcame that loss and went to Buffalo, where they won a close game in the playoffs, which preceded their Super Bowl LVIII victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
Like the Chiefs, Buffalo has been decimated by injuries, and this game won’t represent the roster we might see in two months. Still, there is enough talent at the quarterback position for both teams to overcome the walking wounded on the sidelines for this game.
Josh Allen always plays his best against the Chiefs. It motivates him to carry the Bills offense with his rocket right arm and legs. Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo must tackle that with his team on every snap.
The Bills have failed in the past when Allen forces balls into spaces that don’t exist. Still, the Chiefs defense has not done an excellent job collapsing the pocket on Allen, and his escape-ability has extended drives that keep the ball away from Mahomes.
Kansas City has always circled this game on the calendar, but the Bills have been fixated on the Chiefs since their rivalry has been renewed.
So, who has the edge?
With a win, the Chiefs can lock up the number-one seed in the AFC. Despite the injuries, the Bills are the one team that could be a thorn in the Chiefs’ side. If Kansas City gets the top seed, the Baltimore Ravens and the Buffalo Bills will likely meet in the divisional round in January.
As the top seed, Kansas City would get the fourth seed or a wild card team at home to bring their Three-Peat tournament.
If the Bills win, they’d still be a game behind the Chiefs for the top spot, and they’d own the tiebreaker, which could come into play if Kansas City falters once and the Bills win out. Buffalo has a tough stretch coming up, so it’s reasonable to assume they lose one or two more games.
Kansas City’s upcoming schedule is relatively easy, so this game is magnified. As mentioned, the importance of a Chiefs win sends a wave of doubt to the AFC teams chasing Kansas City.
The Chiefs have the tiebreaker over every contender, but a loss Sunday in Buffalo could allow a team to get hot down the stretch.
To avoid that scenario, Head Coach Andy Reid will devise a new game plan that the Bills have not seen this season. If we’re being honest, the Chiefs’ offense has been vanilla to date. We’ve not seen Reid’s magic, which is by design.
In last year’s playoff game, Reid introduced new wrinkles and old plays that caught the Bills defense off guard. I suspect that could be again on Sunday for Reid and Mahomes.
Harrison Butker’s loss means the Chiefs’ offense must be productive, scoring touchdowns in the red zone. The Denver Broncos did a terrific job of that last Sunday, and the Bills have shown the same ability in the past.
Still, in years past, the Bills’ regular-season matchup with the Chiefs has generally been regarded as their in-season Super Bowl. Given their postseason failures, a moral victory on Sunday might give them renewed confidence; this might be the year they don’t lose to the Chiefs in their Super Bowl quest.
If that’s the case, Buffalo needs this win more than the Chiefs for self-motivation, and the swagger needs to take down the likely top seed in the AFC.
Final Score: Chiefs 28 – Bills 20
