Kansas City Chiefs @ Buffalo Bills: Preview, prediction and odds
Preview for Kansas City Chiefs @ Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills (5-2) and Kansas City Chiefs (5-3) meet for a Week 9 matchup at Highmark Stadium on Sunday.
Much of the attention surrounding this matchup focuses on the two superstar quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, but history suggests that games between these teams are rarely decided by talent alone.
More often than not, it comes down to one crucial play that swings momentum. Last season, Allen made one of the plays of the year in the regular season with a game-changing scramble, only to miss a key corner blitz in the playoffs that ended Buffalo’s run.
The running game could be the deciding factor. When Bills running back James Cook rushes for over 100 yards, Buffalo are 10 and 1, but they’ll be tested against a Kansas City defense that ranks among the top 12 against the run.
This will also be the first time Buffalo faces the new-look Chiefs offense that features Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, and Travis Kelce. That group has helped Kansas City score at least 28 points in each of its last five games, and no defense has managed to slow them down yet.
Sean McDermott’s unit faces one of its toughest assignments of the season against Mahomes, who is once again playing at an MVP level.
For Allen, the key will be discipline. He doesn’t need to chase big plays or play hero ball. Protecting the football, leaning on James Cook early, and making timely throws could give Buffalo the same formula that brought them success against the Chiefs in last year’s regular season.
