Buffalo Rumblings
The Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs clash in Week 9, with a lot at stake. The winner will sees their playoff fortunes improve, while the loser will at least temporarily be left on the outside looking up at the seven playoff-bound teams ahead of them.
There’s still half a regular season to play, but Bills-Chiefs is likely to matter significantly when it comes to playoff seeding in a couple months’ time. Buffalo and Kansas City are both trailing in their respective conferences, looking up at the likes of the New England Patriots in the AFC East, and Denver Broncos in the AFC West.
That’s a situation likely to amp up this game’s energy to give it a playoff feel, and you have to expect that quarterbacks Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes bring their MVP swagger to fuel a win. Who comes out on top? Who falls further behind a surprising AFC playoff-minded field? It’s anyone’s game and one everyone will be watching!
Bills Mafia will be watching closely to see how Allen plays, and curious to see if running back James Cook continues to steal the show. He’s been the team’s MVP through seven games, and it feels like he’s just getting started. If Kansas City can limit Cook’s damage, they may be able to force Allen into a few mistakes while trying to make magic happen with an overall underperforming group of wide receivers.
Wide receiver Keon Coleman would do well to find his groove against the Chiefs, otherwise the calls for general manager Brandon Beane to trade for another player will become deafening in the next couple days. If defensive end Michael Hoecht can pick up where he left off against the Carolina Panthers, Mahomes could be in for a long afternoon. Does Buffalo have enough defensive horses to pressure him now that defensive tackle Ed Oliver is on Injured Reserve (IR)?
One of the most interesting story lines will follow rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston, who starts his second game of the season after returning from a knee injury that sent him to IR out of training camp as Week 1 began. Hairston brings elite speed to Buffalo’s defense, and it’s no doubt that he hopes to play foil to wide receiver Xavier Worthy’s explosive game.
Of course, there’s always the Andy Reid-Sean McDermott angle. It almost feels as though Reid “allows” McDermott and company a win in the regular season if it means he can scout key plays and personnel for playoff matchups. Will McDermott win again in the regular season, or is Reid ready to spoil that fun?
To keep up with all of Buffalo Rumblings’ coverage of Bills-Chiefs, we’ve put together this post to serve as your guidebook in-game and during the hours and days following Buffalo’s Week 9 game between Super Bowl hopefuls.
