We got what we wanted. Well, Browns and Ravens fans didn’t, but just about every other NFL fan was hoping we’d get to see the Chiefs and Bills square off in the AFC title.
It’s not just that the Chiefs and Bills own the league’s two best offenses that has everyone anticipating this one; it’s how freaking fun these offenses have been thanks to their quarterbacks (assuming Kansas City’s will be available on Sunday).
Patrick Mahomes is not only ruthlessly efficient but he makes even the most ridiculous plays look routine — to the point that we’ve all been a bit desensitized to his brilliance. He could throw a Hail Mary behind his back and we’d all be like “yeah, sure, that makes sense.”
Josh Allen has added that efficiency to his game this year, but even when he’s at his worst, it’s still great entertainment. The man is liable to do anything on a football field. I wouldn’t be surprised if Allen actually attempted a behind-the-back throw this weekend.
But this game is a rematch, so it’s not like we haven’t seen these teams go head-up before. And that first game, which took place back in Week 6, wasn’t nearly as entertaining as Sunday’s game looks on paper. To be fair to both teams, it was cold and rainy and the game was played on a Monday afternoon, so it’s not surprising that the game was kind of a dud.
I’m sure the Chiefs coaching staff didn’t see it that way. Sure, Patrick Mahomes was held to 222 passing yards — his third-lowest total of the season — but Kansas City’s running game carried the day, racking up 245 yards on the ground. It was only the second time all year that the Chiefs ran more than they passed. And, much to the surprise of stat nerds everywhere, the world didn’t blow up. They scored 3.25 points per drive, which is about a half-point better than their average.
Buffalo’s offense was neither exciting nor efficient. The Bills managed only 17 points and Allen was held to 122 yards through the air. The rushing numbers, which were inflated by a couple of Allen runs, weren’t any more impressive: 84 yards on 23 carries.
All in all, it was a good game for the Chiefs on both sides of the ball. But that doesn’t really tell us anything about how the game might go on Sunday. For that, I looked back at the film of the Week 6 game in order to get an idea of how they’ll match-up with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
After reviewing the film, I came up with five strategic questions that will decide the game. Let’s try to answer them…