The Buffalo Bills hope to upset the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, and they’ve got plenty of film to review as they prepare – starting with their Week 6 loss to Kansas City.
Indeed, the Bills lost 26-17 to the Chiefs on Oct. 19, and there are many lessons to take from that game.
“The Bills are a much different team then than they are now,” Bills sideline reporter Sal Capaccio said on After Hours with Amy Lawrence. “First of all, there were some injuries. [Bills linebacker] Matt Milano was not on the field. He is a huge part of what the Bills have done this year. The Bills are undefeated when Matt Milano starts this year. When he doesn’t play, they’ve won a few games, but they have not lost in games he’s [played]. That’s how great of a player he’s been for them.”
The Bills trailed Kansas City just 23-17 late in the fourth quarter, but Patrick Mahomes engineered a 12-play drive, which set up a 30-yard field goal for Harrison Butker with less than two minutes to play to ice the game.
Josh Allen, meanwhile, played one of his worst games of the season, finishing 14-of-27 for a season-low 122 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
“Josh Allen just looked really uncomfortable in that game,” Capaccio said. “Give the Chiefs credit. They did a lot of really nice things. But everything was just a little bit off. Timing was off.”
John Brown, who was returning from injury, was hobbled and finished without a catch. Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley combined for 10 catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns, but no other Bill finished with more than one reception.
“They really struggled on offense, and on defense, they had a great game plan because they wanted to stop the pass – and they did,” Capaccio said. “Tyreek Hill had 20 yards, but man, the Chiefs had a great run game and they just kept pounding it at the Bills and pounding it.”
The Chiefs carried 46 times for 245 yards and a touchdown that day, as Clyde Edwards-Helaire finished with a season-high 161 rushing yards.
“The Bills were very passive,” Capaccio said. “I don’t think the Bills are going to play that passive this time. I think they’re going to test that toe to see if Patrick Mahomes can move on it, and they’re going to come after him a little bit. They did not in that game. They had zero blitzes the entire game in Week 6.”