Revenge might be best served in the playoffs, but the Buffalo Bills are in position to score a few points toward redemption when they welcome the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
The Bills (8-2) appear to be the greatest impediment standing in the way of the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Chiefs becoming the first NFL team to go undefeated in the regular season since the New England Patriots in 2007.
History and hyperbole are plentiful as the Chiefs (9-0) land in Buffalo for what is being framed as the marquee game of Week 11 and potentially the 2024 regular season.
Based on recent matchups between these rivals, the final minutes are likely to be worth the wait yet again in this storybook series. The Chiefs have come from behind eight times this season, while the Bills have won three teams when trailing at the half.
It’s just the fifth time since 1970 that NFL teams with eight or more wins meet in Week 11 or sooner. The home team won each of the previous four matchups.
Kansas City is attempting to become the first team to go undefeated in a 17-game regular season.
It’s tough to discern where the momentum stands even with the Chiefs entering the game undefeated.
They needed a last-second blocked field goal to knock off the Denver Broncos last week, sparking Mahomes to send a warning to his teammates.
“I mean, you’re playing the best. The best of the best. That’s what you want in this league,” he said of facing Josh Allen and the Bills. “I’ve been able to go up against Josh a multitude of times, and every single game it seems like it comes down to the very end. He is a guy that competes and has that fire. I think you can see that fire that he plays with and that kind of goes through his entire team.”
Buffalo, which has won five consecutive wins overall, has claimed the past three regular-season games in the series, all of which were played in Kansas City. And the Bills can still tap into a revenge factor. The eventual repeat Super Bowl champion Chiefs eliminated the Bills in the AFC divisional playoffs 27-24 at Buffalo in January.
Despite owning good individual stats against Kansas City, Allen is focusing on the bottom line.
“I know we haven’t beat them in the playoffs,” he said on Wednesday, “so that’s the only thing that really matters.”
The matchup features two of the most successful quarterbacks in the NFL: two-time MVP Mahomes and the decorated but overshadowed Allen.
Their offenses have been getting the job done in different ways. Although Mahomes has just three more touchdowns (12) than interceptions, Kansas City hangs onto the ball thanks to a league-leading third-down conversion rate (52 percent).
The Bills are tied for third in points per game (29) — the Chiefs average 24.3 — and Allen didn’t throw two picks in a game until a win over the Indianapolis Colts last week.
Buffalo leads the NFL in turnover margin at plus-13. And the Bills bring a respectable defense of their own. The group is allowing just 19.3 points per game and has 19 takeaways, the latter figure ranking second in the league.
Red-zone defense figures to be paramount against a Chiefs offense that keys off Mahomes’ dynamic decision-making and threat to run or unleash brazen throws.
Buffalo allows touchdowns on just 47.2 percent of red-zone incursions (eighth in the NFL), while the Chiefs have scored on 53.6 percent of the time (13th).
The Kansas City defense, meanwhile, allows just 17.9 points per game (tied for fifth best) and is fourth in yards allowed (289.9).
“I think they do a great job switching the looks that they’re giving,” Allen said. “Obviously, we know Chris Jones is a game-wrecker, one of the best if not the best interior D linemen in the game right now. You pair that up with some of their DBs and linebackers and they’re flying all over the field. … We’re going to have our hands full.”
Allen is tied for fourth in the NFL with 17 touchdown passes. All four of his interceptions this season have come in the past three games.
“He’s doing a great job with the ball,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “He’s using everybody and he’s not forcing anything in there, obviously, so I think he’s doing great with his decision-making.”
However, Allen’s decimated receiving corps will present another difficult scenario against Kansas City. Rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman is out with a wrist injury, wide receiver Amari Cooper (wrist) was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee) is questionable after sitting out Wednesday. Right tackle Spencer Brown (ankle) also did not practice on Wednesday.
The Chiefs reported no significant injuries on Wednesday and actually had encouraging news with defensive end Charles Omenihu (knee) and running back Isiah Pacheco (ankle) returning to practice. Reid said that wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (hamstring) was closer to returning, whereas Pacheco and Omenihu weren’t viewed as candidates to play Sunday.
“We’ll see as we go through practice, but if it’s up to him, he’s back,” Reid said of Smith-Schuster.
After Sunday, the Chiefs finish the regular season with the Panthers, Raiders, Chargers, Browns, Texans, Steelers and Broncos. Those teams have averaged four wins so far this season. Only the Chargers, Texans and Steelers currently have a winning record. Kansas City beat the Chargers 17-10 in Los Angeles on Sept. 29.
