Arrowhead Pride
Nick Bolton and Justin Reid are readying for the latest showdown against Buffalo
It will be a familiar face-off in the AFC Championship between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills, especially when the Bills have the ball. Quarterback Josh Allen has taken on defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit eight times over the last five seasons. The ninth matchup will be the most crucial, and Allen may be better than ever.
Allen’s next-level improvement shows in his efficiency: he led the NFL in QBR, owned the second-lowest sack rate and threw only six interceptions compared to 18 during the 2023 season.
He also rushed for 12 touchdowns, one being a game-winner against the Chiefs in Week 11. The Chiefs’ defensive leaders know how difficult it can be to corral Allen. Safety Justin Reid pointed to playmaking as Allen’s top characteristic.
“The most special part about him is his ability to create,” Reid said during Wednesday’s press conference. “There will be plays where all of his targets are taken away, and he’ll just spin something up, use his legs to go and make something special, scramble and buy enough time to find a guy running down the sideline.”
This season, Allen led all starting quarterbacks in rushing success rate (66.7%). That number indicates that Allen waits for the right moment, and two of every three of those moments feel like a backbreaker to the defense.
Spagnuolo will strategize to limit Allen’s playmaking, but his plan will depend on the performances of the defensive line and defensive backs.
“In the backfield, it’s about plastering and making sure you stick with your guy,” Reid asserted. “Up front, it’s about continuing to pass rush and having the wind to be able to chase after him for 60 minutes. He is a talented player; he has been playing at an MVP level.”
Allen leads a Bills’ offense that had strong execution situationally this season: Buffalo finished with the second-highest touchdown conversion rate in the red zone. On Wednesday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid pointed out the Bills’ effectiveness on third down.
The attention Allen demands in those moments deserves a lot of credit, but the Chiefs recognize the challenges the Bills’ scheme presents itself. During Wednesday’s press conference, linebacker Nick Bolton emphasized vision.
“You have to have your eyes right,” Bolton told reporters. “Not just linebackers, overhang players, edges, safeties, all of those guys. You have to have your eyes in the right places: they do a great job of moving guys pre-snap, wide receivers, tight ends, putting different people in the backfield, all that stuff to mess with your eyes.”
Justin Reid echoed Bolton’s sentiment, listing the key factors when dealing with purposefully confusing formations and personnel.
“Proper eye discipline and eye control, knowing where your eyes are supposed to be, ignoring the trash that is supposed to catch your eyes and make you take a bad step or get a bad read,” Reid said. “If you have proper eyes, that helps eliminate...
