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Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs: 3 key matchups to watch in AFC Championship Game

By Michael Koonce

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 09: Stefon Diggs #14 of the Buffalo Bills celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter of an AFC Wild Card playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts at Bills Stadium on January 09, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 09: Stefon Diggs #14 of the Buffalo Bills celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter of an AFC Wild Card playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts at Bills Stadium on January 09, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Buffalo Bills
KANSAS CITY, MO – JANUARY 17: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs looks for an open receiver in the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Divisional Playoff at Arrowhead Stadium on January 17, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images) /

Patrick Mahomes vs. Buffalo Bills defense

Patrick Mahomes is a generational talent at the position. He took the league by storm after only starting in one game his rookie season. He then went on to win league MVP in his first full season as the starter in 2018. And he capped one of the most impressive starts to a career with a Super Bowl MVP in 2019.

Mahomes has become the face of the league. And dealing with some injuries could cause him to be limited on Sunday. He’ll need to indulge in his Showtime nickname against this Buffalo defense to secure a victory and be bound for Tampa.

On the other side, the Bills’ defense is talented. They’ve given up their rushing yards but they are built to defend the pass. The depth along the front seven in Buffalo doesn’t produce a ton of sacks but they ended the season with a 25% pressure rate; proving capable of getting to the quarterback and forcing quick throws. The Bills secondary is a veteran unit. And if they can create a game-changing play as they did in the Divisional Round, they’ll have a shot to come out on top.

In their Week 6 matchup, Kansas City was able to run the ball effectively. Buffalo kept two safeties deep to prevent passes from getting behind them and ultimately invited rushing attempts. Last week, Buffalo’s defense embraced the challenge of stopping one of the most efficient rushing attacks left standing in the postseason. However, as well as they played against the run overall, against the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo did not have to respect Lamar Jackson’s arm. The same should not be expected against the Chiefs.

This matchup will be fun to watch and could potentially decide the outcome. Mahomes is capable of throwing the ball where ever he wants. And combined with the creative offensive mind of head coach Andy Reid and his ability to scheme players open, all Mahomes has to do is get the ball out of his hands. Buffalo’s defense will have to make plays on the back end and tackle in space. If all goes well, the Bills will be back in the big game for the first time since the 1993 season.

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