Buffalo Rumblings
The Bills are 60 minutes of good football away from a Super Bowl appearance
The Buffalo Bills are headed to the AFC Championship Game for the eighth time in franchise history. For the fourth time, they’ll face off against the Kansas City Chiefs for the right to play in the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs have won two of the three conference title matchups, having defeated the Bills for the right to go to the first Super Bowl back in 1966 and to Super Bowl LV after the 2020 season. Buffalo defeated Kansas City on the way to Super Bowl XXVIII following the 1993 NFL season.
The history between these two teams means nothing this week, but there is definitely a hill for the Bills to climb. While they’ve defeated the Chiefs in the last three regular-season meetings, Buffalo has been eliminated from the playoffs by Kansas City following the 2020, 2021, and 2023 seasons.
The Chiefs are to the Bills what the New England Patriots were to the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the early aughts. They’re what the Detroit Pistons were to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in the late 1980s and the 1990 season.
In order for Buffalo to overcome their conference rivals, they’ll need some big-time performances from their top players. Here are five Bills we’re watching this week.
I don’t care how obvious it is. If 17 doesn’t play well, the Bills are “cooked,” as the kids would say. Perhaps we could point to last weekend to refute that statement, as Allen’s numbers were pedestrian at best — he completed 16-of-22 passes for just 127 yards.
Allen didn’t throw a passing touchdown for only the third time in a playoff game in his career. He rushed for just 20 yards, but he managed two scores on the ground.
Allen’s playoff stats this season are well below his usual dominating playoff numbers, as well. He’s completed 75% of his passes (36-of-48) for 399 yards and two scores, adding 18 carries for 69 rushing yards and two more touchdowns.
The fact that we’re looking at this and saying, “man, he isn’t having as big a postseason as usual” and his numbers are still that good shows you just how otherworldly Allen has been in the postseason.
However, this iteration of the Bills has shown that they don’t need Superman Josh Allen on every play. They need dialed-in Josh Allen — the one who makes good decisions with the football, the one keeps the offense on schedule and ahead of the chains. They need the version of Allen who sees running back James Cook available for a pitch and decides not to put the ball in harm’s way, taking the points rather than giving his opponent a chance at life.
Allen was excellent against the Chiefs during the regular season, completing 27-of-40 passes for 262 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, adding 12 carries for 55 yards and a game-clinching rushing touchdown...
