KC Chiefs-Buffalo Bills prediction: Will playoff rematch produce different outcome?
On the one hand, we’ve seen this movie before.
On the other, the second act rarely reads from the same script as the first.
The Chiefs and Bills will meet for the second straight playoffs and also the second time this season when they play Sunday in the AFC Divisional Round at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Bills have essentially built their roster around beating the Chiefs after losing last year’s AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium. And it worked. They got Round One this year, a 38-20 trouncing in Week 5.
But the real test comes in a playoff rematch, with the Chiefs healthier on defense and much improved on offense. They’ll need to be, too. The Bills have the No. 1-ranked defense in the NFL in terms of yardage and points allowed.
A big component of their success has been the play of their secondary, which allows only 163 passing yards per game and stifled quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs with the two-deep shell in October.
That’s half the equation. The Bills trot on Josh Allen a week after he threw for 308 yards and five touchdowns in a playoff-opening win against the Patriots. He added 66 rushing yards, and that might be the primary factor in the entire equation. Can the Chiefs keep Allen in the pocket? Can they stop him if he is?
This feels like a coin-toss kind of game that should come down to a field goal.
Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. Central
TV/radio: CBS (Ch. 5)/WDAF (106.5 FM)
Line: Chiefs by 1 1/2
Sam McDowell’s prediction: Bills 27-24
