The Buffalo Bills are starting the next chapter of their rivalry with the Kansas City Chiefs. As they look to get over the hump, they’ll be doing so with the healthiest team they’ve had in quite a while this late in the season. Buffalo’s defense will have all hands on deck as they face Fox Sports’ 16th-ranked offense. A steep decline from where they’ve been ranked in recent years. But you can’t overlook their offense, either. Kansas City's run game, along with Travis Kelce, has been very good as of late. So, what defensive players need to step up for the Bills to make their first Super Bowl since 1994?
Defensive end Von Miller
It might be a bit of an obvious choice, however, the Bills have been relying on Miller a lot over the past few weeks. Now with the biggest game of the season coming up, Miller will be relied on to stop Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. The outcome of this game may depend on how Miller and the rest of the Bills’ pass rush plays. The playoff experience of Miller will help give the Bills’ young defensive line group a boost as we near the Super Bowl.
Cornerback Christian Benford
Christian Benford is dealing with a concussion, so his status is currently up in the air for Sunday. However, he has been limited in practice so there is a chance he will play. The Chiefs offense has lived off of big plays this season, with Xavier Worthy leading the charge. In their last matchup, Worthy caught four passes for 61 yards and one touchdown. This time around, more of a focus needs to be on containing their speedy receiver and forcing Mahomes to look elsewhere with the ball. If Buffalo can keep the ball out of Worthy’s hands, they should have no issues with the rest of Kansas City’s pass catchers.
Linebacker Matt Milano
With numerous injuries on offense, Mahomes’ stats have declined a bit, while the Chiefs focus more on their run game of Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco. Since joining Kansas City early in the season, Hunt has had a productive stretch, totaling 728 yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season. In their last matchup, Buffalo held Hunt to just 60 yards on 14 attempts. With a fully healthy defense this time around, Hunt should have the same production this week.
Matt Milano came up big against the Baltimore Ravens last week, hitting Lamar Jackson three times and helping to hold Derrick Henry to only 84 yards on the ground. With Kansas City finding success with the ground game this year, the Bills will rely on Milano even more as he seems to have found his footing with the defense. That is assuming he is good to go as well, as he is dealing with a hamstring soreness, according to Sean McDermott per Maddy Glab.