Buffalo Bills
1. If the Chiefs need to control the clock, so should the Bills
No, it’s not lazy writing. Allen and Mahomes are pretty great, and if you should control the clock for Allen, you most certainly should do it for Mahomes. Some of the better coaches and offenses that have been able to beat this Mahomes-lead Chiefs, have kept Mahomes off the field.
Last week in their loss to the Raiders, Kansas City’s time of possession was 24:42 to Las Vegas’ 35:18. There’s no doubt that it played a key role in the Raiders’ victory, forcing Mahomes to push the pace when on field and give the defense some chances to make a turnover.
After last week, it’s certainly hard to imagine the Bills doing that, but offensive coordinator Brian Daboll needs to create a game plan that involves the long haul.
2. Zone it up
It’s quite difficult to game plan for the Chiefs offense. Between the unpredictability of Mahomes, or the players to cover, it’s a 60-minute challenge.
The Bills are even at a slight disadvantage with their respective injuries. The linebackers have had their health issues this season and cornerback Tre’ Davious White was an unexpected injury designation last week. Heading into this week, those key players carry questionable injury designations at time of writing.
Injuries aside, it’s hard to cover the speedy wideout Tyreek Hill, or 6-foot-5, 260 pound tight end Travis Kelce. Bend, don’t break. Leave room for adjustments against this team. Man coverage is probably not the answer in this game.
3. They have running backs, right?
The reinvigorated running attack that we were led to believe was happening for Buffalo still hasn’t shown up. The Bills currently rank dead last in rushing offense in the NFL. LAST. That’s not a good look for a supposed offensive guru in Daboll.
TJ Yeldon shined last week, earning the coveted Bills Wire Player of the Week nod. While it looks like rookie Zack Moss will return to action against the Chiefs, Yeldon was a key factor last week. Find creative ways to utilize all three (including Devin Singletary), and establish a run game. A run game that isn’t just simple runs up the middle.
The offensive line has to pull their weight there, too. Chris Jones in the middle of the trenches and wreck everything the Bills plan to do on the ground. But still, run the damn ball.
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