January 20, 2024
Fred Liggett
sports.lstribune08@gmail.com
Television viewers dislike it when their favorite program gets moved to a new date and time but they end up hoping the program remains a highly rated one. Chiefs fans have enjoyed watching their favorite team beat the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Playoffs in two out of the last three years. Now the Chiefs and Bills meet in the playoffs again but this time it’s being played in Buffalo. Chiefs fans hope the change in location will not mess with what has been a wonderful outcome for their favorite team en route to a Super Bowl appearance.
Both the Chiefs and Bills enter this AFC Divisional round game at 12-6 and coming off from wins in the Wild Card Weekend played over the last week. The Chiefs played on Saturday night at home while the Bills played at home a Monday afternoon. The Chiefs and Bills series over the last four years has been a very interesting one and a whole lot of fun to watch.
Many Chiefs fans will be able to tell you what happened in the last meeting between these two AFC powers. The Bills in a week 14 game on December 14 left KC with a 20-17 road win. Defeating the Chiefs during the regular season is nothing new for the Bills having done so back on October 16, 2022 and before that on October 10, 2021. However the post-season has seen the Chiefs come out ahead each time. Chiefs won the 2021 AFC title game 38-24 and came back to do it again in 2022 in a memorable 42-36 overtime victory.
Not only are the records of the two teams identical but many players statistics are similar as well. Bills QB Josh Allen has compiled 4,306 yards this season while Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has 4,183. Receiving leaders are Chiefs TE Travis Kelce with 984 yards, Bills Stefon Diggs with 1,183. Defensively the Chiefs sack leader is Chris Jones with 10.5 and the Bills leader is Leonard Floyd also with 10.5.
Due to so much being even its hard to say how it will turn out as it may come down to just one play. In the Chiefs loss in KC to the Bills a Kelce to Kadarious Toney lateral for a TD was called back on a penalty. If allowed the Chiefs would have a late game winning touchdown. Expect the same here as just one big play will likely make the difference in who is going home and who is advancing to the AFC title game a week later.
Much has been this week that the Bills finally have the Chiefs at home to find a different outcome of a January playoff game. The Chiefs were 5-4 at home this season but 6-2 on the road. Despite the change in location expect the Chiefs to make that one big play that will give them another win over the Bills in January. That’s What I REID Into It for this week.