Buffalo Bills: 4 questions with Arrowhead Addict about AFC Championship Game

To get some in-depth perspective about the Buffalo Bills opponent on Sunday, I had a chance to talk with Matt Conner, who is the site expert for Arrowhead Addict. Find out his thoughts about the AFC Championship Game as well as a prediction for who might win.

1) The Chiefs seem to be dealing with a number of injuries on the offensive side of the ball, most notably Patrick Mahomes but also Clyde Edwards-Helaire and former Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins. How much could this impact what the Chiefs offense is able to do against the Buffalo Bills?

Matt Conner: It’s interesting to bring this up because the Chiefs were able to handle the Bills fairly easily with an obtuse offense the last time around. Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle were bigger players than Tyreek Hill. Sammy Watkins was out for that game. Le’Veon Bell had yet to join the team yet the ground game carried them to victory. No one in K.C. thinks it will be that simple the second time around, given how hot the Bills have been in recent weeks.

That said, the Chiefs seemed to coast through the last meeting on the offensive side. Mahomes is the x-factor here, obviously, but the Chiefs can feel fairly confident without the others.

Question 2: If there is one area of weakness on this Chiefs defense, it seems to be on the outside at cornerback. Do you think that is the case and that this is a mismatch in the Bills’ favor?

Matt Conner: At cornerback, L’Jarius Sneed has stepped up to be a terrific rookie contributor and the total sum of most plays from Bashaud Breeland and Charvarius Ward are more positive than negative, so I’d feel confident there over the course of 60 minutes (knowing some big gains will be had there).

The bigger area of concern here is going to be at linebacker if Willie Gay is unable to play. With the lack of athleticism, there might have a tough time keeping up in coverage or spying on Allen.

Question 3: Who is one under-the-radar player that Buffalo Bills fans should know about coming into this game that could have a big impact on the game?

Matt Conner: I already mentioned Sneed and perhaps he’s gaining more notoriety than I realize on a national level, but the Chiefs selected the cornerback out of La. Tech at the very bottom of the fourth round and he’s been a monster in coverage all season long. He’s got a nose for the ball that this team hasn’t seen since Marcus Peters at the position, and Steve Spagnuolo is learning how to use him in successful blitz packages.

Question 4: What do you think will be the deciding factor in this game and do you have a final score prediction?

Matt Conner: The Bills are a lot of fun to watch, to be sure, but there’s a feeling here that a young team playing week after week will eventually run into a wall. I think the Chiefs will be that wall. The future is bright in Buffalo, and the entire organization deserves serious credit for the great job done to get to this point.

But if Mahomes is healthy and ready to go, I just don’t even believe this will be all that close. Chiefs by 10 or more.