The AFC Divisional Round is set, and it's a familiar matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. It's also one that rarely disappoints.
Earlier in the regular season, the Bills and Chiefs faced off against one another in what ended up being the catalyst for the resurgence of Buffalo, where they won their last five regular-season games. The Bills took a 20-17 victory in Arrowhead that left Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid angry, dismayed, and later fined by the league after questioning a referee's called offensive offsides penalty that called back a go-ahead touchdown for Kansas City.
Unlike in the last five meetings between these two teams where it's taken place in Kansas City, where the Bills are 3-2, Buffalo gets to play host this weekend, making it Patrick Mahomes first playoff game on the road.
Since Josh Allen arrived in 2018, the Bills have only made the AFC Championship Game once, back in 2020, where it was the Chiefs who ended their Super Bowl dreams in a 38-24 loss. Their last two playoff appearances have ended in the divisional round, where again, the Chiefs were responsible back in 2021, although it was the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022.
Will the Bills' fortunes change in this year's divisional round with it being at home in Highmark Stadium where they only lost twice this season? Winning six straight games has to account for something, too, but this is still a Chiefs team that has been a thorn in their side. Let's get into some Bills divisional round bold predictions.
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Bills take a lead into halftime
In their last meeting, the Bills took a 14-7 halftime lead that eventually led to a 20-17 victory. Last weekend against the Steelers, they got up big in the first half to go up 21-7. Look for them to do the same in this week's divisional game, putting the Buffalo crowd in a frenzy. However, for the Bills, they'll just need to make sure to keep pace in the second, which at times this season has been their detriment.
Josh Allen throws for at least one touchdown, rushes for another, with at least one turnover
Josh Allen is a machine. We all know this. How he goes, the Bills go, which is what will ultimately determine their eventual destiny. Allen did about everything in last week's Wild Card game against the Steelers, where he threw for 203 yards and three touchdowns while running for 74 yards and one more score.
The thing with Allen, as we all know, is that he can be his own worst enemy by trying to do too much, which causes him to make costly turnovers. It's highly unlikely that he avoids making at least one giveaway against the Chiefs' defense, even though they average just one per game, according to Team Rankings. But they did pick him off back in Week 14.
Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes both will need to be on the run
Sunday's contest will have two of the best pass-rushing teams in the NFL against each other, with the Chiefs No. 2 in sacks with 57 and the Bills No. 4 with 54, per Fox Sports stats. The problem for each team is that both quarterbacks are highly elusive and can typically evade defenders with their abilities. With that being said, both quarterbacks could have a day on the ground, with each getting 50 yards or more.
Bills finally get a playoff win over the Chiefs
In their all-time record, the Bills and Chiefs have only faced off five times in the postseason. The Chiefs lead the series 3-2, with Buffalo's last win coming all the way back in 1994 in the AFC Championship. That got the Bills to their last Super Bowl game.
If the Bills finally want to propel past the Chiefs, there's no better year to do it than this one, especially since the Bills are riding a hot streak right now, and will be surrounded by the faithful Bills Mafia. The Bills win a close thriller.
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