The Kansas City Chiefs return home for Week 14 to host the Buffalo Bills.
The Chiefs are coming off a road loss to the Green Bay Packers and have lost three of their last five games. Not only is K.C. reeling, but it is also dealing with multiple key injuries. The Chiefs now trail the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins by one game in the AFC standings.
The Bills are coming off their bye week following a crushing overtime loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. At 6-6, Buffalo hasn’t lived up to expectations this season and is currently on the outside looking in at the playoff picture. A loss to the Chiefs this week will all but dash the Bills’ postseason hopes.
Check out our offseason report on the Bills, where you’ll find information about their offseason moves and key players. Now, let’s see what it will take for the Chiefs to get back on the winning track against Buffalo.
Chiefs' defense vs. Bills' offense
Joe Brady is the Bills’ interim offensive coordinator, following the firing of Ken Dorsey back in Week 11. Brady can’t completely change the offense this late into the season, but he has made some tweaks and will certainly have some new wrinkles following the team’s bye week.
One of Brady’s goals is to cut down quarterback Josh Allen’s interceptions by running the ball and using pre-snap motion more frequently. Brady has accomplished pounding the rock more, with Bills’ running backs combing for 61 carries over the last two weeks. Allen’s interceptions have persisted, however, as he’s thrown one in both games since Brady took over.
Despite the interceptions, Buffalo has the No. 5 ranked passing offense in the league and Allen ranks in the top six in passing yards and touchdowns among quarterbacks. As we all know by now, Stefon Diggs is Allen’s go-to receiver. Diggs will face a tough matchup against Chiefs’ cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who’s had some fantastic performances against elite receivers this season.
Sneed’s performance against Diggs will be crucial for the Chiefs’ defense. Limiting Diggs could keep Allen in his turnover-prone habits. The second biggest threat to the Bills’ offense is Allen’s legs. He has a rare blend of size and speed for a quarterback and has already tied a career-high in rushing touchdowns with nine on the season.
Although it takes a defender out of coverage, keeping a spy on Allen would be worth it. The Chiefs are likely to get linebacker Nick Bolton back from injury this week and he would be the perfect guy for the job. Keeping Allen in the pocket is another recipe for forcing him into interceptions.
Chiefs' offense vs. Bills' defense
Head coach Sean McDermott also serves as the team’s defensive coordinator. He runs a hybrid defense with Tampa 2 zone coverage principles in the secondary. The key component to Tampa 2 coverage is that the middle linebacker quickly reads whether the play is a pass or run.
If it is a pass, he must drop back deep in the middle of the field between the two safeties, creating a Cover 3 look. Tampa 2 is a bend-don’t-break coverage that forces the offense to be patient. Being patient and taking what the defense gives is something that the Chiefs’ offense has adapted to this season.
The problem with that, however, is the Bills can get after the quarterback in a hurry. They rank third in the league in sacks with 41, making it tough for quarterbacks to take time to scan the field. A timing passing game featuring slants, drag routes, and screens could be a sound strategy.
K.C. has been more committed to the running game as of late but could be without starting running back Isiah Pacheco for this game. Even if he is available, he could be limited. That leaves Clyde Edwards-Helaire- who has had a disappointing career thus far and Jerick McKinnon- who has been sparingly used this season.
McKinnon and Edwards-Helaire are good pass-catching backs, so that would be a good way to utilize them. The Chiefs would be wise to still try to establish the running game since Buffalo is allowing 4.7 yards per carry this season, the fourth-highest mark in the NFL. Doing enough to at least set up an effective play-action game could open things up down the field.
