David might be right here shortly. Within the meantime, right here’s Graham Searles on immediately’s sport:
Story of the season: Simply as in 2023, the Chiefs have been subpar for a lot of final yr, rolling within the decrease gears able to strike within the playoffs. They continue to be the best-coached and most well-prepared workforce within the NFL. Their solely stumbling block: the Payments. Josh Allen’s game-sealing landing run on fourth and two when the groups met within the common season was a smudge on an in any other case pristine copybook. So can Buffalo do it once more? Can Allen lastly make a definitive mark after dropping to Mahomes thrice within the postseason? The stress is on in what is bound to be one other on the spot basic.
What Buffalo must do to win: Run the ball. Kansas Metropolis’s protection has a weak spot that may be exploited by James Cook dinner and Allen. The Chiefs have softened up considerably since limiting the Payments to a good 104 dashing yards after they met in Week 11. Of their previous 5 video games, Kansas Metropolis have allowed a mean of 150 dashing yards, whereas the Payments have persistently dominated on the bottom, averaging 170 yards within the eight video games since beating the Chiefs. Crucially, within the playoffs, the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos – the NFL’s finest and third-best run stoppers when it comes to whole yards allowed in 2024 – every gave up a season-high whole in opposition to Buffalo. If that’s the injury Cook dinner and Allen can do to opponents who concentrate on shutting down runners then the duo will almost definitely trigger Kansas Metropolis critical hassle.
What Kansas Metropolis must do to win: Put the ball in Xavier Worthy’s palms. In head coach Andy Reid’s scheme, the speedy huge receiver can stretch Buffalo deep down the sphere. That ought to give Mahomes an explosive goal to unlock a Payments secondary doubtlessly lacking star cornerback Christian Benford, who’s in concussion protocol. Reid must also work in artistic touches for Worthy when the Chiefs have the ball contained in the pink zone. He brings an important playmaking menace to assist the extra routine, environment friendly manufacturing of Travis Kelce. The Payments have struggled in tight video games within the postseason in current season, and jitters have been evident once more final week as Lamar Jackson rampaged within the second half. Reid can depend on Worthy to be an X-factor a lot as Tyreek Hill was within the Chiefs’ epic divisional-round win over Buffalo in 2022.
Key participant for the Payments: Spencer Brown, proper deal with. Brown has had a improbable season defending his quarterback and run blocking. Allen has been sacked solely 17 occasions throughout his 19 video games this season whereas Brown and his offensive line helped Buffalo rating greater than 30 factors on 13 events. Most fun for the Payments is that the 6ft 8in, 310lbs bruiser was lacking from their regular-season win over the Chiefs. When they should rating, they will depend on Brown to do the soiled work that makes Allen shine.
Key participant for the Chiefs: Jaylen Watson, cornerback. The distinction for Kansas Metropolis could possibly be Watson returning to the secondary. The defensive again, who missed the regular-season loss to the Payments, loved a well timed warm-up in opposition to Houston. The Chiefs’ protection is phenomenal with Trent McDuffie alongside him. They need to permit Steve Spagnuolo to focus his protection on extra essential issues: stopping the run.
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