The Kansas City Chiefs struggled throughout the regular season and they did not look like the team that won the Super Bowl a year ago. While they still finished in first place in the AFC West with a 12-5 record, they did not play up to the standards that they had set for themselves in previous seasons.

While the defense played excellent football and ranked second in yards allowed per game to the Cleveland Browns, the offense often struggled. Since they still had head coach Andy Reid at the helm and Patrick Mahomes under center, this was not the expected result.

There was a bit of an improvement in the Wild Card game against the Miami Dolphins as the Chiefs recorded a 26-7 triumph in brutally cold conditions. While some may say that the Chiefs had an advantage over their South Florida-based opponents, Mahomes & Co. did not let the weather conditions impact their overall play.

They found a running game with Isiah Pacheco, and that opened things up for the passing game. Pacheco is a 5-10, 216-pound back who runs with violence. He attacks opposing tacklers and is bound and determined not to go down after the first hit.

When the Chiefs go to Buffalo to face the Bills in the divisional playoff game, there is little doubt that Kansas City will attempt to establish the run. However, if the Chiefs are going to win a road playoff game, the receivers are going to have to make key contributions. The obvious receiver is tight end Travis Kelce, but he is not an X-factor. He has to play like a star.

Rookie wideout Rashee Rice can be considered team's X-factor on offense

When Mahomes takes a snap in shotgun formation, it's fairly clear that he is on the same page with Kelce. While he has had some issues with drops this season, he is probably the best tight end in the league and he is clearly on the same page as Mahomes.

Kelce excels at running option routes, and that means he has a choice of cutting hard to the inside where he can find the soft spot in the zone or going outside to the sideline. Mahomes understands what Kelce is going to do based on the formation and coverage, and that's why the duo has been so effective.

Rice has shown signs that he is going to be a star for the Chiefs. He was a second-round draft choice last spring out of SMU and his rookie numbers are impressive. Rice caught 79 passes for 938 yards and 7 touchdowns during the season, and was second to Kelce in receptions and receiving yards.

He came through in a big way against the Dolphins, as he was targeted 12 times by Mahomes and caught 8 passes for 130 yards and 1 touchdown.

In many ways, Rice's explosive performance against the Dolphins was not a surprise. He showed significant improvement in the final four games of the regular season as he caught 27 passes for 347 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Rice checks in at 6-1 and 203 pounds, and he can use that size to win the battle against defensive backs who cannot match his strength.

The Bills will likely have a difficult time containing him.

Defensive end George Karlaftis is a defensive X-factor

When the Chiefs line up on defense, the Bills are going to have to pay plenty of attention to pass rusher Chris Jones. He finished the regular season with 10.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and 4 passes batted down.

Jones is also especially dangerous when the game is on the line. He will turn up the intensity in the 4th quarter, and if the game is close, that's when he will make his biggest plays.

But the Chiefs did not reach the upper echelon of the defensive rankings because of one player. Jones has had plenty of help this season, and Karlaftis has become a major difference maker and an X-factor for Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

Karlaftis tied Jones with 10.5 regular-season sacks, and he also contributed 7 tackles for loss, 3 passes defensed and 1 forced fumble. The second-year player from Purdue made a big contribution to the Kansas City effort in the playoff victory over the Dolphins with 6 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

At 6-4 and 263 pounds, Karlaftis has a myriad of weapons to cause havoc for the Buffalo offense. He has the strength to get by opposing offensive tackles and the speed to chase down fast ball carriers.

That athleticism is bound to be put to the test against Josh Allen. The Buffalo quarterback has remarkable running skill, and the Chiefs will need Karlaftis to contain him when he tried to escape the Kansas City pass rush.