By CHUCK POLLOCK, Wellsville Sun, Olean Star Senior Sports Columnist
It’s Bills-Chiefs again … as usual with plenty at stake
Most Bills fans know the numbers by heart.
Since Sean McDermott became Buffalo coach in 2017, he’s faced the Chiefs eight times, five in the regular season, and beaten his former boss, Andy Reid, on four occasions in those matchups.
But alas, in the postseason, Reid is 3-0 against his former defensive coordinator in Philadelphia.
And that’s the glaring asterisk on McDermott’s resume, a 38-24 loss after the ‘20 season, the epic 42-36 meltdown in overtime after the ‘21 campaign, both at Arrowhead Stadium, and last season’s 27-24 heartbreaker in Orchard Park.
Now the rivalry continues Sunday afternoon at Highmark Stadium (4:25, CBS-TV, Bills Radio Network) between the Chiefs (9-0), the NFL’s lone remaining unbeaten, and the 8-2 Bills, dispelling all of those preseason predictions of rebuilding gloom.
THE MATCHUP has worked the Buffalo faithful into a frenzy knowing that if their team is to have any chance of earning the AFC playoff bye, it has to win this game.
But Bills quarterback Josh Allen issued words of caution.
“It’s a Week 11 game. It’s no bigger and no less than the last 10 games that we’ve had,” he said, his nose seemingly growing like Pinnochio’s. “I know the media perception and the fan perception of what this game means. But for us, it’s just a Week 11.”
OK then.
McDermott was more forthcoming.
“We get our ninth win,” he said of Sunday’s goal. “That’s what we’re focused on … prepare the way we need to prepare, play our best ball. If you don’t do that you’ve got no chance, especially against a team like this. We’re just trying to control the things we can control. We’re looking forward to it … it’s a big challenge for us.”
What makes the Chiefs special in a season where seven of their nine victories have been one-possession games, including last Sunday when a blocked field goal on the game’s last play preserved a home win against Denver?
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“They’ve got a tremendous amount of poise and composure … where many teams are trying to get to,” McDermott said. “Winning the ways they’ve been able to win … coming from behind, having the lead then opening up the lead, they’ve won just about any way you can win.
“They also have a Hall-of-Fame coach. They’re just really good, it’s a hard code to crack. They’re extremely well-coached, they adjust through the course of a game, they execute at a high level. You can only control so much, we can’t control what they do, we’ve got to make sure that we’re ready to play.”
He added, “There’s always somebody you’re trying to get past to accomplish the goal you want to accomplish. I don’t care what walk of life or what sport you’re in, there’s always a challenge in front of you, it’s just who that challenge is and this week, for us, it’s the Kansas City Chiefs.”
OVER RECENT years, the Chiefs have become the Bills’ primary rival, easily pushing past AFC East foe New England which has been slipping the past few seasons. Kansas City and Buffalo, come Sunday, will have met nine times since ’17 — six of those at Arrowhead — but eight of them since ’20.
“It’s fascinating to watch when you think about the multiple matchups, this is (No. 9) and that’s a little bit unusual when we’re not in the same division,” McDermott said of playing the Chiefs. “Sometimes you come across interactions like that through scheduling and playoffs (seeding).
“I think it’s been great for the league … great for the fans to watch these two elite quarterbacks (Allen and Patrick Mahomes) go at it even though they’re not playing against each other as everyone likes to make it out to be. I feel like they have a ton of respect for each other and their games which is awesome to see.”
It’s odd, despite Mahomes’ perfect start, his stats this season are purely pedestrian: 12 touchdown passes, nine interceptions, 90.3 passer rating. By contrast, Allen has thrown for 17 scores with three picks, four rushing TDs and a 100.2 passer rating.
THE BILLS, who have won five straight, are 2-point favorites in Las Vegas, essentially meaning this game would be a toss-up on a neutral field.
“You play where the schedule takes you, but we’re always thankful to play at home … we’ve been on the road quite a bit this year to this point,” McDermott said. “But we don’t take (being at home) for granted, we have to put the work in and be in front of our fans.”
Allen’s formula for winning is simple … sort of.
“Just continuing to trust the process, not changing anything because there’s no need to,” he said. “What we’re doing in-house here, the way we’re practicing, the way we’re talking to each other. We’re just going to keep trusting that. It’s gotten us to 8-2 thus far and we’re trying not to get complacent with that record. We’re always looking to improve and get better. But we’re not going to try to change everything we’re doing for another game.”
Even if that game is Kansas City.
“It starts with their roster and the success they’ve had … their head coach, their quarterback, their defensive coordinator (Steve Spagnuolo),” Allen said “… guys that are all dang good at what they do. With Pat on the offensive side of the ball, they’re doing everything right.”
INJURIES could be a factor, both ways, come Sunday.
Two key players are out for the Bills, rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman (wrist) and tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee) and those two losses will be exacerbated if wideout Amari Cooper (wrist) and offensive tackle Spencer Brown (ankle), currently listed as questionable, can’t go as it would take four starters out of the lineup. The practice window for key linebacker Matt Milano (biceps), currently on injured reserve, is open but he’s also listed as out this week.
The Chiefs major loss is kicker Harrison Butker who suffered a knee injury and is on injured reserve after surgery. His place will be taken by Jets practice squad place-kicker Spencer Shrader.
POLLOCK’S PICK: Chiefs 24, Bills 23
(Chuck Pollock, a Wellsville Sun and Olean Star senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@wnynet.net.)
