While the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t have quite the same level of success this regular season as in years past, they remain a dangerous threat in the AFC. Even as the three-seed in the conference, Andy Reid’s team is just one win away from getting back to the AFC Championship game for the sixth year in a row.
That level of sustained excellence isn’t all too normal, leaving many to gravitate toward the Tom Brady-era New England Patriots for a comparison. That’s a bit premature at this point but considering the current context of the NFL, Kansas City is indeed the next closest thing.
With a Divisional Round game on the horizon, the Buffalo Bills are attempting to get past the Patrick Mahomes Chiefs for the first time in the postseason. It’s a chance to elevate to a new tier. Quarterback Josh Allen, knowing what’s ahead of him, is excited for the opportunity.
“They’ve been at the top of the mountain, they know what it takes to get there,” Allen said. “We have yet to do that. As a competitor [and] as a player, to be in a situation like this is something you dream about. You really do. I know guys on this team have been waiting for this moment for a long time. To think about how far we’ve come even from seven or eight weeks ago to where we are now, to have an opportunity to host a game against — they’ve won two championships in the last couple of years — you can’t help but be excited for that.”
Allen boasts a 3-3 career record against the Chiefs: 3-1 in the regular season but 0-2 in the playoffs. In those four outings before the postseason, the Bills’ superstar signal-caller has superior stats to Mahomes. Although Allen’s playoff numbers versus Kansas City remain stellar, Mahomes’s production in the two biggest games is otherworldly: 703 yards, six touchdowns and a 125.2 passer rating in just a pair of contests.
Both of those wins were huge for the Chiefs and crushing for the Bills. In the 2020-21 campaign’s AFC Championship Game, Reid’s team dispatched Sean McDermott’s group by a final margin of 14 points. Almost a year later to the day, Buffalo came oh-so-close to pulling out a win but instead suffered an overtime loss in a game that saw a combined 78 points get put up on the board. With the Bills having won Week 14’s meeting from this season, the Chiefs are looking to avoid another loss here. For Buffalo defensive end A.J. Epenesa, however, eliminating a rival is his top priority.
“In my four years being here, we’ve built up a pretty good, like you said, rivalry against these guys,” Epenesa said. “And being from down there, I’m from the St. Louis area, so since the Rams left, everyone from home is a converted Chiefs fan. That’s a little extra motivation for me, personally. It’s been a fun thing to be a part of. Just such amazing games, memorable games, games that’ll last forever in the history of the NFL. Just to be a part of those is a blessing, but I mean, our goal this time is to try and send them home.”
Despite the natural hostility that comes with a rivalry, both organizations have shown each other a ton of respect this week. The head coaches and quarterbacks recognize how serious of a challenge the other side poses. The supporting depth pieces know it’ll take everything in their power to come out with a victory. It doesn’t get much better than a premier playoff matchup with a ticket to the conference title game at stake. Greg Rousseau, Epenesa’s running mate, is ready to take on Mahomes and Co.
“I feel like that’s how it always is in sports,” Rousseau said. “You know, you’ve got teams that take their turns being at the top no matter what sport or what level you’re at. They’re a real good team, we’re ready for the opportunity. We can’t wait.”
