For the fourth time in five years, the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills are meeting in the playoffs.
Ominously for the Bills, they have been on the losing side for each of these last three playoff encounters, with Andy Reid’s team having that habit of being able to deliver when it matters.
As was the case in 2020, a Super Bowl place is on the line when these two meet at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday evening, but which players will be the ones to settle what should be a thrilling encounter? DAZN News takes a look at the key men to watch out for.
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Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City)
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Call us obvious, but we have to start with the quarterbacks. Statistically, Mahomes is coming off his least productive season as a starter, with his regular season mark of 3,928 yards his lowest since he took charge of the Chiefs offence in 2018, while his 26 touchdown passes were the joint-fewest of his career.
But the Chiefs won 15 of the 16 regular season games he played and in the Divisional Round win over the Texans he again simply made the plays he had to make in order to progress.
This may not be enough against Bills, however, as the potent Buffalo offence is more than capable of putting plenty of points on the board, which would drag Mahomes into a shootout.
Josh Allen (Buffalo)
Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
While Mahomes and the Chiefs are chasing history as they look to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls in NFL history, Josh Allen is dealing with a different kind of pressure.
For the Bills QB, it’s all about proving he can get past Mahomes and the Chiefs and back up his brilliant regular season performances and numbers with a legacy-making Super Bowl win.
Allen’s more mature play this year has seen him eliminate some of the more risky plays he would make earlier in his career, but Sunday night will see him come up against a stingy defense masterminded by Steve Spagnuolo and the Mahomes-led offence that can turn up the heat when needed.
Travis Kelce (Kansas City)
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Another quiet regular season, which saw his lowest yardage total since his washed-out rookie year, had the naysayers lining up to claim that the 35-year-old’s powers were diminishing, only for Kelce to silence his critics in the Divisional Round win over the Texans.
His seven grabs for 117 yards and a touchdown were key, as Mahomes was able to call on his favourite target and keep the Houston defence guessing.
Keep an eye out for his personal duel with Bills linebacker Matt Milano as that could go a long way in deciding how this contest pans out.
- Read next | Chiefs vs Bills: Keys to victory for both teams
Spencer Brown (Buffalo)
The Bills right tackle has been able to do the work in the trenches that has let Allen shine this season.
Brown is a major reason why Allen has only had to swallow 17 sacks in 19 regular season and playoff games this term.
Spagnuolo will be hell-bent on making sure the Bills do not establish the run, but if the 6ft 8in Brown is on song, the Chiefs defensive will have their work cut out.
Xavier Worthy (Kansas City)
Chiefs
The rookie wideout’s speed and deep-threat ability to stretch the field and give Mahomes the opportunity to stretch the Bills secondary.
With standout cornerback Christian Benford currently in the concussion protocol and a doubt to play, the Chiefs will be eyeing a potential mismatch that could make all the difference in a tight game.
An added wrinkle here is the fact that Buffalo traded out of the draft pick back in April that allowed the Chiefs to grab the speedster with the 28th overall pick.
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