Week 5 Sunday Night Football Preview: Bills vs. Chiefs

Last season, the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs played one another in the AFC Championship Game, where the Chiefs qualified for their second straight Super Bowl. This year, they play in another marquee matchup, headlining the NFL Week five schedule during Sunday Night Football. And in this game loaded with offensive star power, this game could come down to the defenses.

Buffalo Bills

Last week, the Buffalo Bills won their third straight game by demolishing the short-handed Houston Texans in Orchard Park, NY. Houston had to rely on backup quarterback Davis Mills again, and Buffalo pitched a shutout against the overmatched understudy. In that 40-0 game, the Bills allowed just 109 total yards and forced five turnovers in one of the most lopsided games that will take place in the league this season.

If Buffalo is going to have success against the Chiefs, they will need to be even better than they were against the Texans. Buffalo made some early mistakes against the Texans, including an early turnover that gave Houston their best scoring chance of the afternoon. Those kinds of mistakes will not end well for Buffalo if they are guilty of them against a team that starts Patrick Mahomes rather than Davis Mills.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs played a much more two-sided game than the Bills last week, winning a 42-30 game in Philadelphia against the Eagles. The team that came back to beat the Cleveland Browns in the opening game of their 2021 season got 186 receiving yards from Tyreek Hill in the win over Philadelphia. But they too face a much more substantial test this week than they did last week.

For Kansas City, the defense has been their concern for the entirety of this season. Even in a relatively stress-free win over the Eagles, they managed to give up 30 points and allowed a struggling Philadelphia offense to move the ball to the tune of 461 yards. Being at home in a marquee night game, in one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL, could help the Chiefs get some stops, though.

Keys to the Game

For Buffalo, the biggest key to this game will be rising above the magnitude of the moment. For all of the talent that the Bills have and all of the wins they have racked up during the Josh Allen era, they have fallen short during some of these big games against teams like Kansas City. Executing in a hostile environment will be mandatory if they are going to win a Super Bowl with this roster, and this game is a great chance to prove they can do that.

Kansas City’s big key to this game will be their defense, as they have had a hard time against several lesser opponents than the Bills. After giving up a point total in the high 30s against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football earlier this year, the Chiefs will have to be better if they want a different result.