The Buffalo Bills recently put up an impressive performance against the then 9-1 Eagles, where the Bills were able to drop 34 total points and record over 500 offensive yards. The Bills would still lose that game despite statistically outplaying the Eagles in almost every statistical category, bringing the Bills record to 6-6.
Now the Bills will be coming out of their bye week in a position where they need to win at least four of their next five games if they want a good chance to sneak into the postseason. The first game on their schedule is an old conference rival, the Kansas City Chiefs.
This game is no easy task, as it's going to be in Arrowhead and the team is performing very well on defense this year. The defense is ranked sixth in the NFL in passing yards allowed, ninth in completion percentage, and sixth in total sacks.
Meanwhile, their offense is still scoring points but doesn't look as dangerous as it used to, as the defense has done most of the heavy lifting. Patrick Mahomes is having a good year, but nothing as eye-opening as it usually is.
Although going into Week 14, the Chiefs are going to be looking for blood, as they are sitting at 8-4 after losing a game to the Greenbay Packers on Sunday night. The Chiefs have a lot of weak spots but they are going to fight very hard in this matchup on Sunday, and there needs to be some Bills players that step up in these big moments.
Ed Oliver
The Chiefs' offense has run the ball very successfully this year with their star runningback Isiah Pacheco, a very hard runner who's having a great year and just recently coming off a 100-yard rushing game. The Chiefs' interior offensive line is also one of the best in the league in terms of overall blocking, especially run blocking with Creed Humphrey and Joe Thuney being the best in that interior.
Oliver needs to find ways to disrupt that interior on running plays and try and disrupt their entire scheme. Oliver has been a staple on the interior all season, recording 11 TFLs and always finding his way in the backfield.
Oliver has also been very effective in pass-rush situations, as he has recorded six sacks so far, five quarterback knockdowns, and leads the league in pressures for defensive tackles. Oliver needs to showcase this against the Chiefs, especially with Mahomes under center, and give the Bills a better chance of winning the matchup.
Stefon Diggs
The Chiefs' pass defense may look good on paper, but their secondary has had many issues, especially in man coverage. Chiefs' number one corner, L'Jarius Sneed has played well this year but gives up a lot of yardages, especially in terms of penalties as he's the most penalized defensive player in the NFL, recording 15 penalties.
Most of those penalties are defensive holdings or pass interferences, to which he can get very handsy when playing man-coverage on somebody. Stefon Diggs can surely draw lots of penalties when playing against Sneed and maybe beat him on some deep routes, as he gets beat a decent amount of times. So it's good to target Diggs or even Davis in one-on-one situations against Sneed.
There may be times when Chiefs star cornerback Trent McDuffie will be covering Diggs. McDuffie is having a Pro Bowl-caliber year so far, and Diggs will have to step up every time he's getting covered by him (which is usually in the slot). Although, everyone expects Diggs to, as he's one of the best in the league at his position.
James Cook/Latavius Murray
The Chiefs' run defense is something they've struggled with on the defensive end, as they're around the middle tier in rushing yards allowed. Joe Brady is known for wanting to establish the run game, so that means James Cook and Latavius Murray should make every snap count.
Both running backs should also take advantage of the holes in the Chiefs' defense, as both Chiefs' starting linebackers Drue Tranauille and Nick Bolton are questionable to return for week 14. The Bills should give the Chiefs a one-two punch with the speed of Cook and the power of Murray, along with an eventual all-around back in Ty Johnson, making the defense question what the Bills will do with those backs. Even if one or both linebackers return, it's crucial to keeping the offense two-dimensional.
Micah Hyde/Jordan Poyer
Both Hyde and Poyer have a difficult task this game, guarding Travis Kelce. Both safeties have been in this league for a long time and can cover just about anybody, but both have also lost a step in terms of athletic ability. However, they're both still very talented football players and still can make big plays when it matters.
Guarding Kelce is no easy task, as they've had to do it many times before. These safeties aren't going to be guarding him on every down, but when they do, it will probably be in crucial man coverage situations. Both safeties have to step up and guard Mahomes' favorite target when it matters most. Although it's practically impossible to take Kelce out of the game, limiting his production will help slow down the Chiefs' offense.
Both players are also one of those players who can make a game-changing play in any given minute within a football game. When playing against a quarterback like Mahomes, having those types of players who are willing to make a game-changing play is very important, and both are still capable of doing that.
Josh Allen
Now we can address the MVP of this team, which is the league leader in total touchdowns. Fans can talk about turnovers all they want, Allen will win you games. He put on another legendary performance that was one play away from being a win.
Since the firing of Dorsey, Josh Allen and the offense have put on an offensive clinic, recording over 60 points and over 900 total yards in the last two games, to which Allen accounted for over 700 of those yards and scored all seven touchdowns. As the Bills reach December, Allen plays his best football, recording 34 touchdowns to 10 turnovers since 2020.
Allen is back to his Superman ways but with the help of an effective running game that will help the offense down a five-game stretch. The last time the Bills would face the Chiefs, the Bills won 24-20, with Allen having an almost flawless game recording 361 total yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers.
Even with the Chiefs having a top defense in the league, they still have lots of flaws, and we should expect Allen and Joe Brady to attack those weaknesses in the defense, starting with establishing the run, as the Chiefs run defense is on the weaker side of the defense's strengths.
Ever since Sean McDermott took over as head coach, the Bills are 6-0 after the bye week. The Chiefs just lost their game against the Packers, so the Chiefs will be playing hard to stay at the top of their division, while the Bills will be fighting for a chance to sneak into a playoff spot as they sit at 6-6. Putting together a playoff run would be ideal if the Bills could sit at 7-6 rather than 6-7 after this week, especially when playing the Dallas Cowboys afterward.