Four keys for Buffalo Bills to beat Kansas City Chiefs
Here are four keys to a Buffalo Bills victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
buffalonews.com
Stay the course against Mahomes. Bills nickel cornerback Taron Johnson has seen the way Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes uplifts the whole offense.
“It’s just how, one, he can extend plays,” Johnson said. “That's huge. So, you got to win two times: one the first read, and then after he scrambles out there. Then you got to win again, whether that be stopping him from getting the first down or breaking up a pass.”
The Bills’ defense will to try to disrupt Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, left, and limit his effectiveness with his receivers, including DeAndre Hopkins Ed Zurga, AP File
Mahomes is able to make plays happen out of nothing. Luckily, the Bills' defense practices against that tendency daily with their own quarterback, Josh Allen. Even when a play seems over, the Bills' defense has to be ready for anything.
Catching Kelce. As many know, Travis Kelce can be a grotesquerie for opposing defenses. For Johnson and the Bills' defense, it starts with Kelce’s brain.
“He's such a smart player and he knows angles, and really good with leverage,” Johnson said. “So, if you're playing a certain leverage on him, he's going to get off of that and go the opposite way. And I feel like Patrick Mahomes is just on the same page with him.”
It gets worse when Kelce is paired with Mahomes. The Bills have to impact the pair if they hope to stop them.
“Their chemistry is undeniable,” Johnson said. “So, just making sure that we can affect that chemistry, with either the rush or how we're playing Kelce – just making sure that we can disrupt that.”
Be ready for anything Spags dials up. Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is known for his exotic looks. Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady has to have his team ready.
“They've been the best defense in the NFL the last couple years,” Brady said. “You can see the natural shifts and how good of a job Spags has done, kind of transforming that defense and getting into the type of identity that they want to be, and they make it tough on all three downs and whether it's run or pass – they put a lot of stress on you.”
The Bills' offense has found ways to beat Kansas City before, and the team will need to stay creative in the chess match with Spagnuolo.
Special teams, special plays. Every yard matters in this game, and special teams will be a big part of what could be a one-score final. Kansas City took a blow this week when the team announced that kicker Harrison Butker is headed to injured reserve with a left knee injury. Butker was 18 of 20 on field goal attempts prior to his injury, with his only two misses from 50 yards or more. On the flip side, Bills kicker Tyler Bass has worked through some of his demons and has a recent game winner to prove it. The Bills need to be aggressive, and they can’t have missed field goals against Kansas City. They also need to be solid on punts and punt returns to make Kansas City fight for every single yard.