After a wild weekend headlined by upsets and lopsided outcomes, the NFL playoffs roll on.
The finale of the AFC Divisional Round features the return of our favourite rivalry — but with a different twist this time — as Patrick Mahomes packs his bags for his first-ever playoff road game, hosted by Buffalo.
The No. 1-seed Baltimore Ravens await their opponent for next week after securing their spot with a dominant performance against Houston Texans.
Two thrillers in the making. Let’s dig in.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Buffalo Bills | Sunday 6:30 p.m. ET
Here we go again. Whenever the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills go head-to-head, we know we’re in for a treat. It’s very likely we’re in for a little drama, too. When these two clubs met in early December, the Bills were (finally) rested but had a huge mountain to climb — at 6-6, their contest against Kansas City was a must-win both in terms of the standings and all-around morale, and the Bills pulled it off (with a little off-side controversy from the Chiefs, of course).
Take that “must-win” of Week 14 and highlight it, underline, bold it, all-caps. It’s another playoff meeting between the AFC’s most exciting clubs, and if the Bills can keep their winning streak alive and overcome the defending champs… well, we could finally be talking about a Super Bowl appearance in Buffalo.
Can Josh Allen’s Bills overcome their greatest hurdle?
Mahomes and Allen have twice squared off in the post-season — both at Arrowhead Stadium, and both resulting in Chiefs victories. Kansas City has advanced to five straight AFC Championships, winning three, while the Bills’ last battle for AFC supremacy was in 1993. This one feels different, with Buffalo playing host. We’re about to find out how much home-field advantage really matters.
Will tight ends take over?
We all know what Travis Kelce can do in the playoffs. He’s been Mahomes’ top target every post-season, but last weekend struggled with a few drops while rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice led the team in receptions. Buffalo, meanwhile, has a pair of tight ends that can really set the tone offensively in Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid. Who wins this positional battle?
This one’s totally going to overtime… right?
We all remember the last time these teams met in the post-season. It was one of the finest football games ever played — so good, in fact, that it changed the game. The Chiefs scored a touchdown on their opening possession of overtime after winning the coin toss, leaving Allen helpless to respond due to the league’s always-controversial OT rules. The following year, NFL powers voted to alter playoff overtime rules to allow for both teams to get a possession in extra time. Fingers crossed we get to see it play out on the field.
Matchup to watch: Bills’ banged-up secondary vs. Chiefs’ wide receivers
Both sides of this matchup are hindered in some way — for Buffalo, it’s the injury bug that’s nearly depleted its depth on defence while in Kansas City the issues are more self-inflicted as the Chiefs’ pass-catchers lead the league in drops.
Injuries or not, Sean McDermott’s got his work cut out for him as not just head coach but the defensive mind behind this team. Buffalo’s offence was the difference in their Week 18 win over Miami to steal away the second seed (and claim home-field advantage through the first two rounds) and while it was Josh Allen who put on a show as the Bills ran away with the win against Pittsburgh on Wild Card Weekend, the Steelers were with T.J. Watt. And KC’s crew? It’s healthy, and ready to put the pressure on Allen’s passing attack. Without being able to rely on racking up the points, Buffalo’s D will have to find a way.
