Buffalo Rumblings
Beyond the obvious with Josh Allen, what has to happen for the Bills to claim their first AFC Championship trophy in two generations?
The Buffalo Bills are about to face the Kansas City Chiefs in AFC Championship, their first trip back to Championship weekend since January 2021, during the 2020 NFL regular season.
Perhaps you remember that game well, and the moment afterward when wide receiver Stefon Diggs clung to every moment that unfolded in front of him after having just lost a game that wasn’t all that close. Yes, you remember it. We all do.
Of course, that wasn’t the last time Buffalo and Kansas City met in the postseason. Yet the two other times they did meet in the Divisional Round, the Bills’ season ended at the hands of the Chiefs.
Tonight is about changing narratives, about playing the type of football every person inside One Bills Drive knows is capable. To do that, quite a few things need to happen.
Here, with any luck — and that’s a huge component of reaching the Super Bowl — are my keys to victory for the Buffalo Bills.
All season, my sticking point for the Bills had been that hitting 30 points was key to their winning. Buffalo hit 30 or more points in 12 regular-season games and against the Denver Broncos during Super Wild Card Weekend. In those 13 games, the Bills are 12-1 (including at home vs. Chiefs Week 11) — losing just a 44-42 barnburner on the road against the Los Angeles Rams. Buffalo also finished 3-1 in games where they scored 40 or more.
A lost of talk most of this season had been that the Chiefs’ offense struggled to put up points, and that was fair criticism given KC has only scored 30 points in two games, playoffs included. Bills Mafia understands that while stats say one thing, the other consideration is that the Chiefs’ defense made a living out of limiting points against most weeks.
Is it likely Buffalo’s offense scores 30 today? I wouldn’t bet on it, since these teams are different than their Week 11 selves. That said, I feel comfortable with the Bills’ chances is they hit 30, and do so first.
Yes, it’s obvious. No, it can’t be overstated. Buffalo was fantastic all season, turning the ball over just eight times, earning an NFL-best +24 turnover differential (32 takeaways, 8 giveaways). That turnover prowess has continued into the playoffs where the Bills have yet to turn the ball over, and is a reason for them playing in the AFC Championship Game.
But winning the turnover battle isn’t enough this evening. Beyond having more takeaways, the Bills need points off those steals. Against the Ravens, Buffalo failed to score any points after safety Taylor Rapp intercepted a pass by quarterback Lamar Jackson.
It didn’t end up costing the Bills a W, but it sure made for...
