5 questions with Arrowhead Pride ahead of Chiefs-Bills AFC Championship Game

To get to the Super Bowl for a third-consecutive time, the Chiefs must hold off the Bills

The Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs will put on a show for NFL fans Sunday evening, with the winner claiming the right to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LIX. Bills Mafia and Chiefs Kingdom are ready to get past all the hype — it’s time to see which team has it all figured out.

To get us ready for tomorrow’s showdown, Jared Sapp of Arrowhead Pride once again joined me to chat all things Chiefs-Bills. Though it was just nine weeks ago when Kansas City’s bid for an undefeated season ended at the hand of Buffalo, these teams are fairly different. Much of that has to do with personnel and the way players are being utilized.

Jared joined me to discuss whether or not there’s any fire to the smoke that is quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ often-reported ankle injury, rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy’s development the last eight weeks, and what’s going on with running back Isiah Pacheco since his return from a knee injury earlier this season.

Jared also touches on tight end Travis Kelce’s involvement in the playoffs, and what it’s going to take for Kansas City to move past Buffalo to make a third-straight Super Bowl.

You can read my responses to Jared’s questions about the Bills by heading over to Arrowhead Pride. Ready? Let’s dive in!

1. Patrick Mahomes is again listed with an ankle injury. How might that impact things on Sunday, and will Andy Reid build a game plan to keep him more out of harm’s way than usual?

With the situation being two weeks off or go home, I think Mahomes will have a green light to be as aggressive as needed. The Chiefs may be the league’s most compliant team at reporting treatment, so I don’t think there is anything more than Mahomes is still seeing the trainers for the high ankle sprain he has played through since early December. He did not look limited in any way against Houston. Even with being sacked three times a week ago, he managed to avoid taking big hits and looked fine as the game went on. He rebounded from the injury to play two games in four days during Weeks 16-17. I don’t think the issue will impact the game.

2. Xavier Worthy has become a reliable target for Patrick Mahomes, catching at least four passes in the last eight games. Has his use on offense changed?

When Worthy was drafted, he was instantly seen as a Tyreek Hill or DeSean Jackson option. He and Mahomes have never seemed to develop the timing on deep shots, but they have been money on shorter routes over the second half of the season. It is very hard to keep Worthy from moving the chains on a short route because his speed inevitably adds key yards. DeVonta Smith would probably be a better example than Hill...