With Super Bowl on line, Chiefs know they face a different Bills team Sunday evening
The Chiefs and Buffalo Bills are set to clash Sunday in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium.
The contest represents a showdown between the AFC’s top seeds in the playoffs and a rematch from Week 6 of the regular season, a game from which the Chiefs, now 14-2, emerged with a 26-17 victory.
Like the earlier meeting, Sunday’s game features two powerhouse squads, star-studded rosters and two of the league’s top head coaches in Andy Reid and Sean McDermott.
There is one major difference for the 13-3 Bills, however. The Chiefs, who got some great news of their own Friday when it was announced that Patrick Mahomes had been cleared from the NFL’s concussion protocol, must prepare for a Buffalo squad also projecting to be at full strength.
“It looks like they’re healthy,” Reid said. “I mean, they were missing a couple guys at that time, key guys, so I think that they’ve got everybody back and they’re playing at a high level.”
Sure enough, the Bills were without a pair of starters — linebacker Matt Milano and tight end Dawson Knox — in the teams’ regular-season showdown. Milano’s absence placed the Bills’ defense at a disadvantage the Chiefs exploited with a season-high 245 yards rushing.
This time around, the Chiefs know the Bills defense’ will have its heart and soul on the field.
“He plays with great energy,” Reid said of Milano. “He’s a good cover guy, good against the run. He is their quarterback of that group and he was missing our last game, so we look forward to the challenge of playing against him. He’s one heck of a player, and that’s what this is all about.”
Offensively, the Bills didn’t see quarterback Josh Allen’s best game in Week 6.
Allen, whose 4,544 yards passing in 2020 finished as the fifth-most in the league, posted season lows in passing yards (122) and completion percentage (51.8) against the Chiefs en route to a 73.4 passer rating.
The Chiefs don’t expect a repeat from Allen in Sunday’s rematch.
“I think this time around, you’re going to see a quarterback that really understands where the ball is supposed to go,” Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu said. “I think the last time we played them it probably wasn’t his best outing as a quarterback, so I’m pretty sure they’re going to come in here this Sunday and try to get into a rhythm fairly quickly.”
Finally, for what it’s worth, there’s the matter of momentum.
The Bills went on a run after losing to the Chiefs, winning nine of 10 to close out the regular season and averaging 34.5 points per game over that span. Including their previous two postseason appearances, the Bills have now won eight straight games.
Buffalo enters this weekend’s contest as a hot team in all phases of the game. And the Bills rightfully have the Chiefs’ full attention.
“They’re rolling right now,” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said. “They’re playing some of their best ball, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
“The defense has improved since Week 6, since we played them. Their quarterback is playing outstanding; he’s playing at an MVP-caliber level. They’re steamrolling right now and firing on all cylinders.”
The Chiefs are no slouches, of course, and enter the weekend seeking to extend their franchise record with a fifth straight win. Kansas City also boasts the NFL’s top offense (415.8 yards per game) and passing attack (303.4).
With two NFL juggernauts set to go at it Sunday, this game has all the ingredients for an instant classic, with the right to advance to Super Bowl LV in Tampa on the line.
The slightly favored Chiefs are focusing on the task at hand.
“They’ll be different than what they were when we played them (in Week 6), and our guys understand that,” Reid said.
This story was originally published January 24, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "With Super Bowl on line, Chiefs know they face a different Bills team Sunday evening."
