The Kansas City Chiefs will be heading on the road to face the Buffalo Bills in a matchup between two of the best teams in the AFC. 9-0 Kansas City versus 8-2 Buffalo, this Sunday, November 17 with kickoff set for 4:25 p.m. EDT at Orchard Park live on CBS.
The Kanas City Chiefs, currently riding a 15-game winning streak, which is already a franchise record, have a chance at more history this week. A win this week would mark the first time in franchise history Kansas City has started a season 10-0. Meanwhile, the Bills sit comfortably atop the AFC East riding a five-game win streak themselves heading into this one, and are looking to put a stop if only for this week to the Chiefs’ run of victories.
This has been the game many people have had circled since the schedule was released. Everyone knows the type of performances we’ve had the privilege of witnessing when these two teams are lined up against one another. Kansas City enters this game after a walk-off field-goal block in Week 10 to defeat the Broncos 16-14. Then the Bills secured a 30-20 win over the Colts to keep themselves rolling and now the matchup we have all been waiting for is finally here.
Game/Team Matchup Info
According to ESPN, the Bills are 2.5-point favorites, with an over/under set at 46.5 points. The Bills lead the all-time series 29-25-1, but the Kansas City Chiefs have dominated in postseason matchups, winning four of six meetings. Another interesting tidbit is that in his career, Patrick Mahomes has only been an underdog 14 times. In those 14 games, he’s 11-3, so Vegas must know something we don’t to have the two-time defending Superbowl Champions that have won 15 straight games as an underdog.
Now to look at the head-to-head matchups between Mahomes and Josh Allen. Currently, Mahomes leads 4-3 in the meetings and has thrown for 2,604 yards with 21 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Allen has posted 2,460 yards and 20 touchdowns, adding five rushing scores. Allen has had Mahomes and the Chiefs number in the regular season with a 3-1 record. However once the postseason rolls around, Mahomes has never lost to Allen and the Bills, as he’s currently 3-0 against them then.
Kansas City enters this game with its offense ranked 10th in the NFL, while Buffalo sits at 14th. However, the opposite side of the ball takes a drastic shift for the Bills as they are ranked 18th in the NFL for total defense while the Chiefs are ranked fourth. The Kansas City Chiefs this season has been an efficient offense that leans on its defense and special teams to help them clinch games.
While the Bills have relied more heavily on their playmakers on both sides of the ball to allow them to secure victories. This game is going to be so interesting because of the difference in approaches up to this point, and seeing how head coach Sean McDermott will try and out-scheme Andy Reid and his team which is the more well-rounded unit.
Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Line Under Pressure
The Kansas City Chiefs offensive line has faced scrutiny for a while now, primarily their tackles but after a shaky performance in Week 10. The duo of Wanya Morris and rookie Kingsley Suamataia have been under the ire much heavier this past week. Morris will be starting in this game despite suffering a knee injury in last week’s game which had him temporarily sidelined, but he eventually returned and finished out the game.
However, even with that being the case, because of the inconsistent performance from the left tackle position, has caused Mahomes to not trust his pocket and develop happy feet, which has not allowed the offense to reach its full potential up to this point of the season. Jawaan Taylor at the right tackle position is a more consistent player when it comes to pass and run blocking but his major issue is penalties which hurts the Chiefs offense just as much as the lack of consistent protection from the left side of the line.
Then heading into this game, where the Bills defensive line although not as stout as the Broncos, is no slouch of a unit either. Buffalo ranks 12th in sacks with (25) on the year and their pass rushers Greg Rousseau and AJ Epenesa are going to be lined up right against both Morris and Taylor whichever duo can consistently beat out the other could likely determine the outcome of this game.
As we have seen for Mahomes, there are not many things that can slow him down, but constant pressure is certainly at the top of the list, and if Rousseau and Epenesa can take advantage of this weakness of Kansas City, they will be setting their team up nicely to hand the Kansas City Chiefs their first loss of the season.
Buffalo Bills Receivers Facing Increased Pressure
The Bills receiving corps is heavily depleted due to injuries to most of their top players. With rookie wideout Keon Coleman out of this game due to a wrist injury, Stefon Diggs is out for the year with a torn ACL, and Amari Cooper is questionable with a wrist injury. Then both Mack Hollins (shoulder) and Curtis Samuel (pectoral) are dealing with injuries as well but they have at least been full participants and appear to be on track for Sunday.
The only person from their receivers that was not on their injury report this week was Khalil Shakir who also happens to lead their team this season in receiving yards (529), and has stepped into the spot of No. 1 receiving option as they deal with all of these injuries.
The main challenge for Buffalo is going to come from how they are going to be able to stretch the field against the Chiefs which has one of the best defenses in the league. However, if there is a weakness in this defense it would be their pass defense which is ranked 14th in the NFL. The Bills will likely not be finding much success in the run game against the Chiefs as they’ve held every team to season-lows in rushing this season, but they can be had when throwing the ball from sideline to sideline.
Then there’s also the threat of Josh Allen running which is a struggle for every defense, but those two areas offensively are going to have to be what the Bills go all in, to maximize their advantage over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Players To Watch For Kansas City
On the offensive side of the ball, the player to watch this week for the Chiefs will be wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins. Through three weeks with the Chiefs, Hopkins has already become the go-to receiver for this team. His ability to draw defenders has opened up more opportunities for Travis Kelce to go on the run he’s been on lately. Hopkins has adapted quickly to the Chiefs’ scheme, he currently has 14 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns in his first three games for the Chiefs. He already only has one less touchdown than Xavier Worthy and 117 yards than Rashee Rice and he’s only been with the team for three games.
Defensively, Kansas City’s player to watch is no other than Chris Jones. The Chiefs defensive anchor and leader, whose stats may not fully reflect his impact. However, turning on the tape, or seeing the continued success of this team is in large part due to him. Jones is always facing constant double teams, but because of this, he’s created openings for his teammates to rush the passer.
Then in a game like this one where slowing down Allen is going to be a must given his ability to run the ball, the Chiefs are going to be heavily reliant on their All-Pro defensive tackle to take away as much space as he can to limit Allen’s ability to escape from the pocket and create on the run.
Players To Watch For Buffalo
Khalil Shakir is the offensive player to watch for the Bills because of the role he’s going to have to step in due to all of the injuries they are currently facing. Shakir’s speed and route-running have made him a reliable target for Allen, but this week will be his toughest test yet. Lining up against one of the top corners in the NFL in Trent McDuffie and facing a Kansas City defense that will be focused on neutralizing Allen’s passing lanes, Shakir is going to have to make a living in the intermediate areas of the field and find opportunities to create after the run to keep Buffalo ahead of the chains.
Then similarly to the Chiefs Greg Rousseau anchors the Bills’ defensive line and will be the defensive player to watch on Sunday. His 5.5 sacks two forced fumbles and 12 tackles for loss are all team-highs. They also all demonstrate his ability to disrupt the opposing team’s backfields. This week Rosseau will be facing a Chiefs offensive line that struggled last week and has not looked great this season in general. This gives Rousseau a prime opportunity to do what he does create chaos and swing the momentum in Buffalo’s favor as a result.
Final Thoughts
Whenever these two teams have faced one another it has come down to quarterback play and defensive execution. Mahomes and Allen are two of the league’s brightest stars, both are capable of taking over any game. However, it is clear in this game the Kansas City Chiefs have the edge at least on paper and if their track record counts for anything this season, their defense has been flat-out impressive, and if they can contain Allen that could be what decided the outcome of this contest.
For Buffalo, their clearest way to victory is exploiting Kansas City’s offensive line weakness, and by doing so applying pressure on Mahomes. The Bills will also have to overcome an excess of injuries and rely on their depth to maintain their offensive rhythm. With so much on the line for both teams, when this one is all over we will walk away with a clearer picture of how this year’s AFC playoffs could shape out.
