The Buffalo Bills (8-2) roll on in their 2024 regular season journey with a matchup at home against the Kansas City Chiefs (9-0) at Highmark Stadium.
All week, topics and storylines have been discussed ahead of these two AFC foes facing off.
In the end, regardless of what is said by players, coaches, media outlets and fans, it always comes down to what unfolds on the field in the NFL.
And once the battle arrives, there will be a few particular things to keep in mind to look out for.
With that, are seven things to watch for during Sunday’s Bills-Chiefs matchup:
Early going
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While the Bills are on an impressive five-game winning streak, they have had lulls early on in games. Look no further than last week’s win over the Indianapolis Colts. Buffalo trailed 13-10 at one point.
After those games where the Bills have gotten off to slower starts, a notion has followed: They cannot do that against playoff teams. That’s what the Chiefs are, and head coach Sean McDermott must have his locker room ready to go right away on Sunday.
(Regular season) at home vs. the Chiefs
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The narrative is that the Bills struggle against the Chiefs. But that doesn’t exactly show the full story. The reality is that Buffalo does pretty well against Kansas City during the regular season. Quarterback Josh Allen has the Bills with a 3-1 record against the Chiefs before the postseason when he plays. The last three of those four were even on the road… and Buffalo won all three.
The home-field advantage could be a difference maker.
More defense this time?
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Offense will always take the headlines with the Bills and Chiefs. However, both sides have improved defensive units in 2024 as well.
The Bills have allowed 19.3 points per game, ninth-best in football. Their 19 takeaways ranks second. The Chiefs allow 83.2 rushing yards per game, third-best, and allow 17.9 points per game (5th).
Just a few metrics to prove that these are a pair of solid units.
Underdog Chiefs?
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At the time of posting, the Bills are the home-team favorite to beat the Chiefs in Week 11. That team in any game usually gets a three-point edge in the spread, and the line is at -2.5 in favor of Buffalo… so it’s practically a pick ’em.
Even so, this might be a motivating factor for Kansas City. The last five times the Chiefs have been an underdog with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback… it has resulted in a win for KC. It appears to be a motivational factor for the Chiefs.
Dealing with Kelce
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Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce remains a top-NFL talent. He’s been a torn in the side of the Bills in his career. Kelce averages 4.85 catches per outing against Buffalo and 62.8 yards. Worth noting, those numbers also include his early, not-as-productive years which predated Mahomes… but they’re still very good.
The Bills defense knows they have to deal with Kelce… but saying and doing that are two different things. Many teams in football can attest to that.
Josh vs. Pat, always
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Bills vs. Chiefs? Even after all this time, that still highlights the quarterback battle between Allen and Mahomes. We don’t need to say much more than that, everyone in the NFL world, not just in Buffalo and Kansas City, will be locked into this game.
Playmaker injuries
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We already know rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman will not play against the Chiefs because of a wrist injury. But Buffalo will need to keep an eye on two others on the injury report this week: wide receiver Amari Cooper (wrist) and tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee).
Allen needs someone to make plays for him… who will?
