Success

The media is in such overdrive about how big of a "legacy" game this is for Allen and the Bills, and the whole "if they can't beat KC now, when will they ever?" It's truly annoying. We lost one game we should have lost in the AFCCG, and then lost to a coin flip. If we get the W Sunday - the narrative should shift significantly. It will likely become that KC has NOT won since 13 seconds, can't beat the Bills in the regular season, and can't beat the Bills in the playoffs anymore. Looking forward to that narrative.

I knew it as soon as that game ended. And it bummed me out, because that game is an incredible classic, and features my favorite QB playing probably his best game. But like you said - I can't watch a second. If they start showing even a small highlight, I change the channel as quickly as possible.

Bernard is still the biggie there, imo. Obviously, losing Benford would hurt, but I like our depth there - if Douglas and Davis are the main tandem, with Elam backing up & Johnson in the slot, that's a pretty capable group of DB's and not a huge drop-off. Davis & Rapp give us more versatility at their respective positions, but again, not big drop-offs w/ the guys who can play. If Spector is practicing tomorrow, I'll feel a little better about the LB position.

Man, I'm just so happy we're here. There was a 4-week stretch where we lost to the Bengals, had the 12-man fiasco w/ the Broncos, and saw Philly's kicker make a 60-yarder in the rain. We were at 6-6, with something like a 14% chance to make the playoffs. The division seemed out of reach. That article came out about McDermott that seemed like it could send things spiraling. We were starting to talk coaching changes & the draft on here, and I was getting a ton of laughing emojis for still hoping beyond hope that we could go on a run. Now here we are w/ the 2 seed, in the divisional round, and favorites against a VISITING Chiefs team, which we haven't seen in the Mahomes era. McDermott deserves credit, imo. It was a lot of close games and nail-biting, but he put together a fantastic run to close the season and bring us our 4th division title in a row.

I'm not as worried about the D as a few others here. McDermott is excellent on that side of the ball. He'll make things tough on the KC offense no matter who can & can't play. I feel really good about this one. I think this team is motivated to avoid what happened against Cincy last year.

I'll be crazy nervous for every game, and the Ravens are great. But after KC, it will be nice to have a game that has no other baggage. And I definitely think the Texans can win. They remind me of the Bills from a few years ago. Still young & without big expectations, and just having fun. Stroud is legit.

My own feeling is that if we get past this one, this is the year. We might face better teams after the Chiefs, but none that have the psychological 'hurdle' that KC represents. It will feel a little more downhill if we're still playing after Sunday.

I wouldn't say woefully. We're about as banged up as many teams are at this stage of the season. The Chiefs just happen to be healthy by comparison. I anticipate most of the guys on our injury report will play on Sunday. That's just how it goes in January.

I hate losing the option (if he can't play) - he is one of our long threats. But we still have a potent offense. Seems like the Knox/Kincaid combo is finally kicking into gear, and Diggs & Shakir give us a lot of versatility. Cook can catch out of the backfield, and man, would I love to see them get the ball to Harty more in space. When he has some room, he can really make things happen.

The biggest threat w/ KC is Mahomes and his ability to run out of trouble for big gains. He's like Houdini in the pocket sometimes. The pass rush does a great job, but he finds a way to slip through a gap. I agree that our line will do a great job, but we need to be on guard for that - whether it's figuring out how to close those gaps quickly, or maybe dedicating an extra player.

Disagree on this one. Every once in awhile, he sneaks in a good game for us. And against KC, he snuck in his best game. I'd like to see him out there Sunday just for the deja vu factor w/ KC's players and fans. He was unreal in that game.

I was looking for a "tears of joy" emoji to put on this post, but I had to settle w/ an awesome.

It's funny - I always see opposing fans describe us as "insufferable" and "cocky," but we're always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Always. It's decades of history, as well as everything that happened just this season. I don't think anyone really knows what to expect w/ this team.

The Dolphins had a similar injury situation to ours on defense - and they did a pretty good job against that KC offense. You have to consider that the Miami offense had a ton of 3 & outs, and their TOP was 10 minutes less than KC. It wasn't until later in the game that their D started caving a bit and the game got out of reach. KC is not an explosive offense - and we have solid depth players. If there is one thing I really trust McDermott with, it's gameplanning a good defense w/ the players he has available. If our offense can put 27+ on the board, that should win the game, imo.

Kind of tired of the 'Chiefs own the Bills' narrative. It's been 2 games in the playoffs. In the AFCCG, we were underdogs and the Chiefs were just the better, more experienced team (not to mention that our top 4 WR's all had injuries that game). The 13 seconds game was literally a coin flip game. So, yeah - they're 2-0 right now in the playoffs. They way people talk about it, this is been some ongoing thing for a decade or something. I mean, this is literally the 1st time Mahomes is making a trip to Buffalo.

Just checked his stats - he actually had some of his worst #'s as a Bill, in terms of punt distance & punts inside the 20. Most of his other years were better, so hopefully he can come through on Sunday.

I think it's possible, for sure. It would be a little like that Pats playoff game. Finally slaying the dragon, in the most emphatic way possible. A clear change of narrative.

Hmmmm...why isn't Benford listed? Is he alright?

The only thing that gives me pause in this game is the injuries on defense. At some point, "next man up" falters. We'll have to see how the reports go this week, and how our depth is looking by the weekend. But, the Bills at their best are better than the Chiefs at their best, this year. This is probably the 1st year in the Allen/Mahomes era I'd say that. The Chiefs were WAY better when we lost to them in the AFCCG, and still better when we should have won the divisional round game. That's just not the case now. Their defense is better, but it has to be, because the offense is not a world beater anymore. Their receivers have a tough time getting separation, and drop passes consistently. If Brady can crack the code on that defense and throw some wrinkles in, we could potentially win the game going away. But regardless, I don't see this Chiefs team beating us handily or anything. We'll have a chance to win in the 4th if it's close - and we're at home this time.

That narrative is starting to fade, imo. Anytime it's brought up now, the main argument for Mahomes is titles & title game appearances. But this isn't golf or tennis.

I didn't even hear the term "fake slide" until today. It's incomprehensible to me, at least for that play. There was no intent to slide, and no motion to slide. He made a football move and completed the run to the EZ. Pretty preposterous thread - but I've heard the sentiment elsewhere, too. Just gonna file it under "complaining for the sake of complaining."

Beane deserves some praise for building up the depth on this team, and making great in-season moves to shore it up (like Joseph, Douglas, Klein). What a difference from the drought years. If a starter went down back then, it was always JAG city.

I'm almost convinced that site is a put on. It is so over-the-top toxic, and arrogant - some of those comments don't even seem like real fans. It is easily the worst fan site I have visited. I've seen other KC sites that are much more normal, and the fans seem cool and realistic overall. I don't know what it is w/ that main site. It's always jaw-dropping when I go there. Cartoonish.

Getting bowled over didn't bother me. He set up to be in good position for the tackle - but it was a mismatch, and the receiver had momentum. The PI bothered me, but some good observations on here about how it's a TD if he didn't. Still, he got beat. The INT was special, imo. He turned around right when the ball was there. Really quick processing and reflexes there. And that might be who he is. He does seem to have a knack for getting picks - but also misses some plays. It's not a bad trade-off.

I'll be watching the injury reports very closely over the next few days, as I'm sure everyone will.. KC seems to have found some stride as we get into January. The passing attack isn't as good - but any game could be the one where the receivers actually hang onto the ball. As for the run game, Pacheco is legit. And that defense is really championship caliber. Brady & Allen will have to be at their best, imo. Love that they're coming to Buffalo.