The Kansas City Chiefs face the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional round of the AFC Playoffs for the third time in four years on Sunday, January 21 at 5:30 p.m. CT.
The Chiefs and Bills have steadily become must-watch television as the team has formed a new conference rivalry in today’s NFL. Some of the most epic and memorable moments in NFL history have occurred when quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen square off against one another.
Since 2020, the Chiefs and Bills have faced each other six times, including the postseason. Both are 3-3, but two of Mahomes’ wins came in the playoffs. Allen enters this weekend looking to level the playing field by winning his first postseason game over the Chiefs after Kansas City ended Buffalo’s season two of the last three seasons since the Bills QB entered the league.
Sunday will be the first time Allen won’t have to travel to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Instead, Mahomes will have the challenge of debuting in his first road playoff game and playing in front of Bills Mafia at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. Mahomes enters this game looking for his 13th victory in the postseason. The reigning Super Bowl MVP is currently 12-3 in the playoffs, the 8th-best QB postseason record all-time.
The Chiefs and Bills played each other in Week 14 of the regular season over a month ago. Buffalo won the tight matchup 20-17 after Kadarius Toney’s offensive off-sides debacle erased a go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter that would’ve won the game for the Chiefs.
Since that loss, the Chiefs won three of their final four games and defeated the Miami Dolphins, 26-7, in the Wildcard round last week. Week 19 at Arrowhead was the 4th-coldest game played in NFL history, with temperatures 4 degrees below zero, with a wind chill of -27 degrees. Kansas City finished with over 400 yards of total offense as Mahomes threw for 262 yards and a touchdown.
Since Week 17 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City has relied on the combination of rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice, running back Isiah Pacheco, and tight end Travis Kelce. Last week, the three playmakers for the Chiefs combined for 289 yards of offense and will continue to be the main weapons Kansas City’s offense will utilize against the Bills on Sunday. Pacheco will add some extra juice to the Chiefs since they last played the Bills. The second-year back missed the Week 14 matchup due to clean-up surgery in his shoulder.
Buffalo also enters this weekend with a fierce rushing attack. Running back James Cook was electric this season, with 1,122 yards and two touchdowns on 234 carries. But the main focus for the Chiefs’ 18th-ranked rushing defense will be to prevent Allen from beating them with his legs. The Bills QB is a freight train whenever he’s past the line of scrimmage. Buffalo is 4th in the league with 22 rushing touchdowns. 15 are from Allen, which leads the Bills in that category.
Additionally, the Buffalo Bills’ primary source of offense has been their rushing attack. Since their five-game winning streak began in Week 14, the Bills have run the football more than any other team.
However, the Chiefs managed to contain Buffalo’s rushing attack when the two teams played over a month ago. Cook finished with 10 carries for 58 yards, and Allen had 32 yards and a touchdown on ten scampers. Buffalo’s 20 points scored in that game was the 4th-lowest points total the Bills have scored all season.
Kansas City’s bread and butter has been smothering the opposing team’s passing attacks and keeping their opponents out of the end zone. The Chiefs are the 4th-best passing defense in the NFL and are the second-best scoring defense.
Last week against the Dolphins, the Chiefs’ defense held Miami to 264 yards of total offense, allowed them to convert on just 1 of 12 3rd down attempts, and let them score just seven points.
The last two postseason contests between these two rivals have been ones for the ages. With the AFC Championship on the line, the third postseason edition of Mahomes vs. Allen will likely be another primetime thriller.
