The Buffalo Bills are set to play in their first AFC Championship Game since 1993-94, and it's been a long time coming for Bills Mafia.
Buffalo has been led by their rising star quarterback Josh Allen, and the next task won't be an easy one by any means.
The Kansas City Chiefs face questions about their starting quarterback, as Patrick Mahomes left Sunday's game early after getting a concussion. The star quarterback and reigning Super Bowl MVP remains in concussion protocol, but the chances are good that he suits up for Sunday.
Nonetheless, head coach Sean McDermott and the Bills will have their hands full, and the success of this Bills squad has rested on Allen's performance for the whole season.
Another big game from Allen and the Bills will be headed back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 27 seasons.
So what does Allen need to do on Sunday to give them an AFC title?
Here are three bold predictions for the Buffalo starting quarterback.
3. Take Care of the Football
This one is obvious. If you take care of the football, chances are your team will remain in the game throughout.
Allen has been fantastic this season, and his talents have shown more and more each week.
The Buffalo signal-caller has 37 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions this season, and Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has done a tremendous job coming up with a gameplan week after week.
The Bills and Chiefs played each other earlier in the year and Allen struggled big-time against Kansas City. The Wyoming product finished 14 of 27 for 122 yards with two touchdowns and a pick, and the Bills just struggled to get any type of offensive momentum going.
The Kansas City defense ranks fifth in the league in interceptions, including one last week against the Cleveland Browns. Safety Tyrann Mathieu had a career-high six picks in the regular season, and the Chiefs' ability to create turnovers is among the best in the league.
Allen needs to remain calm and do what he's done all year and the Bills will have a good chance at beating the defending championsâwith or without Mahomes.
Prediction: Josh Allen has zero turnovers.
2. Pass the Ball to Stefon Diggs
Stefon Diggs is having the best season of his life in his first year in Buffalo. The ex-Viking has put up career-highs all across the board.
Diggs finished the regular season with a league-high 127 catches and a career-high in yards (1,535). The Allen-to-Diggs chemistry has been evident all season long, and he has put up nine 100-yard plus games this seasonâincluding 128 against the Indianapolis Colts and 106 last week against the Baltimore Ravens.
Diggs has been nearly impossible to match up against, and Allen needs to rely on his playmaker to get open and catch the ball.
The Bills and Chiefs faced each other back in October and Diggs had eight catches for 46 yards and a score in a game the Chiefs won 26-17. However, none of that matters as the lights are brighter than they ever were.
None of that matters and the Bills insisted that they learned a lot since then.
âThey certainly outcoached and outplayed us,â Sean McDermott said Monday. âThey gave us fits on both sides of the ball and special teams and that's where this week comes in. We've got a big week of preparation for ourselves to get ourselves ready to go against the defending world champ,â per the Buffalo Bills' official website.
McDermott and Daboll will be hard at work putting together an offensive gameplan to stay with the high-scoring Chiefs offense, and getting Diggs involved is a no-brainer.
Prediction: Stefon Diggs goes for 12 catches, 160 yards and two scores.
1. Josh Allen Runs EfficientlyâWhen Needed
The Bills shocked the world with their reluctance to run the ball against the Ravens, and it paid off in the end.
Daboll kept calling passing plays, and Devin Singletary and TJ Yeldon combined for just 29 yards on nine carries. Of course, it helped that the defense played a near-perfect game.
The Bills lost rookie Zack Moss for the year due to injury, and it doesn't seem as if they are too fond of Singletary and Yeldon leading the backfield.
Josh Allen doesn't need to run the ball a lot, but Allen needs to escape the pocket and get out of trouble when he can. While most rushes that Allen gets aren't necessarily designed, Allen's ability to escape the pocket and extend the play is among the best in the NFL.
The Chiefs' defense is much improved from last season, and when they bring pressure it makes it more difficult for Allen to throw to his open receivers.
Allen had over 400 yards rushing and eight touchdowns in the regular season, so his ability to run the ball is clearly evident.
The young quarterback needs to remain calm, read the defense, and run the ball effectively when needed to keep the Bills in this gameâand those are things he's done all season long.
Prediction: Josh Allen has 10 carries for 57 yards and a score.
The Game
Josh Allen and the Bills have plenty to get ready come Sunday, regardless if Mahomes plays or not. For a franchise seeking their first Super Bowl appearance in nearly 30 years, the pressure is on for Allen, Daboll, McDermott, and company to top the Chiefs and prevent them from their second straight Super Bowl.
Will Allen and the Bills head to the Super Bowl?
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