Arrowhead Pride
Kansas City’s third-year defensive end knows the defensive line will have a tough challenge against Buffalo.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ third-year defensive end George Karlaftis is coming off what was arguably the best game of his career, when he collected three sacks of the Houston Texans’ quarterback C.J. Stroud in the team’s 23-14 Divisional round victory.
But now, Karlaftis and the Chiefs have turned their attention to Sunday evening’s AFC Championship against the Buffalo Bills on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Can the Chiefs count on Karlaftis to put in another big game against their quarterback Josh Allen?
“We’ve played them a number of times over these past few years — since I’ve been here, especially — and he [can] really do it all,” Karlaftis noted of Allen on Friday. “We have a lot of respect for him and what he can do in the [pass] game [and] in the run game. He’s accompanied by a great offensive line, great receivers and a great [running ] back. So we’re going to have our hands full.”
Kansas City has played Buffalo three times since the beginning of last season, losing both of its regular-season matchups — most recently, a 30-21 road loss in Week 11 — but recording a 27-24 road victory in 2023’s Divisional round. But just because they are familiar with the team and its six-foot-5, 237-pound quarterback, that doesn’t necessarily make Sunday’s challenge any easier.
“When you face a quarterback like that,” explained Karlaftis, “who is very mobile but also has a stature like his, you try to get him down any way you can.”
The Chiefs expect the Bills to put much effort into running the ball — 47.9% of their plays this season were on the ground, which was the league’s fifth-highest rate — and miss no opportunity to extend their drives.
“NFL teams going for it more and more on fourth down in critical situations past the 50 — all that kind of stuff,” noted Karlaftis. “So you’ve got to be ready for it. And every single team has their own tendencies of what they like to do and how they’re going to accomplish their goal: trying to get the first down. We’re going to have to have a way to defend it, too.”
Karlaftis can expected to do his part. While many consider the former first-round draft pick to be a player who succeeds through persistence rather than skill, his teammate Charles Omenihu has a different opinion.
“They try to box George in as a high-motor guy,” he said on Friday, “but he’s a skilled rusher. He knows what he does well — and beats guys with it. And he showed up in the playoffs when it matters most. I just told George, ‘Join the party and strip the ball!’”
As far as Omenihu is concerned, Karlaftis is a great player.
“He can rush. He can play the run. He’s a complete guy [who] can drop [into coverage]. He’s done everything that this organization...
