It’s a growing rivalry with the Bills’ road going through Kansas City again

It doesn't matter what the seedings say, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs are the staff to beat.

Possibly not general. That’s nonetheless Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, no matter what the parents in Inexperienced Bay would possibly suppose.

However within the AFC, whereas the Tennessee Titans might maintain the No. 1 seed and have star working again Derrick Henry getting back from damage this weekend, it’s the Chiefs who stay the AFC champions and have to be knocked out as they gun for a 3rd straight Tremendous Bowl look.

The Buffalo Payments wish to consider they're the simply the staff to carry out that process after falling quick 12 months in the past. You keep in mind that one. The Payments jumped forward 9-0 after Kansas Metropolis muffed a punt, however then the house facet put up 38 factors in two-and-a-half quarters whereas the Payments offence couldn’t sustain. It ended up being, basically, a one-sided affair.

Patrick Mahomes outplayed Josh Allen, and the Buffalo defence did so little to disrupt Mahomes that just a few months later the Payments spent their first two picks within the NFL draft on two cross rushers, Greg Rousseau and Boogie Basham.

Since then, the 2 groups have met as soon as extra, in Week 5 once more at Arrowhead Stadium, and this time it was the Payments popping out on prime with Allen outplaying Mahomes for the primary time. However soccer rivalries are made within the post-season, and if this Payments-Chiefs matchup goes to develop into a noteworthy rivalry, and if Mahomes vs. Allen goes to develop into a brand new model of Brady vs. Peyton Manning, then the Payments must stake their declare Sunday night time in Missouri.

Sure, it’s a disgrace that the 2 groups are colliding one step earlier within the NFL playoffs than final 12 months. However the gritty Titans had a powerful season whereas overcoming the absence of Henry, and each the Chiefs and Payments had sufficient stumbles alongside the way in which that they generated nice doubts, even amongst their most loyal followers, at completely different factors within the season.

Nonetheless, we get the rematch everybody wished to see. From a Buffalo standpoint, it’s clear the defence is improved. In opposition to the cross, it’s the most effective in soccer. Allen, in the meantime, might not have fairly the numbers he had final 12 months, however most consider he’s a extra mature quarterback right this moment and he actually confirmed that final weekend in opposition to New England when he led his staff to seven touchdowns on the Payments’ first seven possessions.

“What you see with Josh as he will get higher and higher each single 12 months is he’s not happy with the place he’s at,’’ Mahomes mentioned this week. “He works by means of his throwing movement, he works on his ft, he does several types of stuff to offer himself an edge, and I feel that’s what all the most effective quarterbacks do.

“I feel that’s what’s put (the Payments) at this stage the place they’re a dominating staff. He’s positively gotten higher and higher every 12 months and I’m positive we’ll have plenty of battles as each of our careers go on.”

We will solely hope for that. “Each of them are nice for the NFL,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid instructed Buffalo media Wednesday. “They’re each cell. They each can run round, lengthen performs. It’s enjoyable to look at except you’re taking part in them, proper? Then it’s not so enjoyable.”

It’s been a newsy week for each golf equipment. For the Chiefs, the excellent news is that it seems working again Clyde Edwards-Helaire is wholesome and out there after lacking the final three video games. He provides Mahomes a cushty passing choice out of the backfield.

The unhealthy information, in the meantime, was that linebacker William Homosexual Jr. was arrested mid-week and charged with a property injury misdemeanour in a dispute with the mom of his little one. This being the NFL, after all, Homosexual will play Sunday anyway.

For Buffalo, it’s been one other week of intense hypothesis about which members of the group might be working elsewhere subsequent season, and also you marvel how that impacts a staff internally. Whereas offensive co-ordinator Brian Daboll and defensive co-ordinator Leslie Frazier have had head teaching interviews, assistant basic supervisor Joe Schoen was named the brand new GM of the sad-sack New York Giants on Friday. There’s already hypothesis that he's going to rent Daboll to be his head coach with the Giants.

Away from all these rumours, the Payments look to be about as wholesome as any staff may hope to be for a sport like this. Every part labored on each side of the soccer in opposition to the Patriots, and the problem might be what occurs Sunday night time when the Chiefs put up extra of a battle than Invoice Belichick’s overwhelmed New England squad did.

What occurs on Sunday, as an illustration, when the Chiefs take some issues away from the Buffalo offence and the hostile Arrowhead crowd turns up the noise? Allen believes he’s prepared after some powerful classes, together with final 12 months’s AFC title sport.

“Taking the expertise and the data that we’ve gained, understanding that each drive that you've got within the playoffs may be very essential to the sport,” Allen mentioned. “Being good with the soccer and never urgent.”

Oddsmakers nonetheless like Chiefs by a few factors. That’s truthful. They appeared dominant in closing out Ben Roethlisberger’s profession final week, and most consider an improved Kansas Metropolis defence is what acquired the staff out of an early season funk.

Buffalo’s window to win received’t shut with a loss, however a victory modifications your entire dialog about this soccer staff and its future, and would additionally undoubtedly assist gas the drive for a brand new stadium. The Payments appear to be peaking, with a corporation so proficient that different groups are attempting to steal their finest individuals.

All that’s good. Now they should show they will beat the most effective. On the highway. In January.