BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and the Chiefs broke out the brooms on Buffalo in 2020. After beating them in the regular season, Kansas City cut the Bills' playoff run one game short. The last time Sean McDermott beat his old mentor was in 2017.
Here are the predictions from the WKBW sports staff:
Matt Bove:
Emmanuel Sanders has quickly become a fan-favorite here in Buffalo. Four weeks into the season, Sanders has 16 receptions for 268 yards and two touchdowns. But what has been even more impressive is his presence off the field.
Every Thursday, we get a chance to talk with Sanders following practice and up to this point, every one of his press conferences has been insightful, and quite frankly, entertaining.
Following the Bills Week 1 loss to Pittsburgh, Sanders explained how tough the week would be knowing they didn't play their best but explained an early-season let-down can turn into motivation moving forward. After the win against Washington, Sanders told reporters he wants to win a Super Bowl, throw up the deuces, and go spend his time on a beach, while we all sit outside in the cold. To be fair, it was a chilly day in Orchard Park.
But maybe his best response yet came on Thursday.
Emmanuel Sanders spits facts every Thursday pic.twitter.com/FjRGmLgncF
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) October 7, 2021
That answer perfectly explains how I'm feeling about this matchup. If the Bills can go into Arrowhead and play strong defense, force turnovers, and put points on the board like they've been doing, they should win this game. That's a lot easier said than done against an opponent like the Chiefs, but it's also not unreasonable.
Buffalo is allowing just 11 points per game to their opponents while Kansas City is allowing 31. On offense, both teams are averaging 34 points per week. The level of competition is not equal but if Buffalo can hold Kansas City to 30 points or less, I think they'll win this game.
This is the Bills toughest test yet, but I think they'll be up for the challenge.
Bills: 31, Chiefs: 30
Season record: 3-1
Jenna Callari:
This one is going to be a track race and I, for one, can't wait to see what these two high-powered offenses do, especially when trying to keep up with one another. There's a lot of respect for both Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, each talking highly of the other during their weekly press conferences, and their respective defenses also have respect for the QBs they'll be going up against.
This one will come down to which offense make the least amount of mistakes, and which defense outperforms the other... which is going to be fun to watch considering this will most likely be the toughest test for each unit so far this season.
We know the Bills defense has been dominant, but this weekend will be another animal. It'll be a really good measuring stick to see where this defense is when going up against one of the best offenses in the league.
This matchup is interesting to me because it's a game that can go either way. Do I think the Bills can win? Absolutely. But usually when I think a game can go either way, I go with the home team. And I'm doing that this week.
That being said... my random prediction this week... if this makes any sense? I think the Bills will prove me wrong.
Chiefs: 34, Bills: 32
Season record: 3-1
Adam Unger:
In the last calendar year, Sean McDermott has beaten every other active head coach that has stemmed from the Andy Reid coaching tree. The Bills knocked John Harbaugh's Ravens out of the playoffs in January, topped Matt Nagy's Bears in Mitch Trubisky's homecoming in the preseason. In the last two weeks, Buffalo has dominated both Ron Rivera & Washington and David Culley & the Texans.
This week, though, the Bills are going for the root. And they have to do it on the road.
Kansas City's defense has looked porous throughout 2021, while the Bills have been lights out. But the competition couldn't have been more different. Buffalo has faced nothing but backups in their victories, while the Chiefs have had to contain some of the NFL's best young quarterbacks week in and week out.
Whether the Bills are healthy or banged up on defense, Travis Kelce has been Buffalo's kryptonite. Between Kelce and Tyreek Hill, the two of them make up over 60% of the Chiefs' receiving yards. There's no stopping them; there's only containing them.
Buffalo is equipped to get into an offensive shootout. And down the road, they'll have to win some this season to reach their full potential. But Andy Reid still has a couple more lessons to teach; he's 15-7 against his former assistants, and I expect him to get another win against an old disciple.
Chiefs: 34, Bills: 31
Season Record: 3-1
