The two teams who appear to be setting up the rivalry of the 2020s will square off in the postseason one more time. The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills will meet in the playoffs for the third time in the last four seasons. Their last matchup in January 2022 provided an epic ending as the Chiefs won in overtime. However, this will be the first time they play in Buffalo in the postseason. This rivalry has the potential to be the Cowboys-49ers or Patriots-Colts of the 2020s. Let’s preview the Chiefs and Bills.

Kansas City Chiefs

This will be the second straight playoff game against an AFC East opponent for Kansas City as the Chiefs beat the Dolphins in sub-freezing temperatures in the Wild Card round. That game was in Kansas City against a team from Florida that’s used to much warmer weather. This will be different as the Chiefs have to travel to Buffalo and play a team that thrives in colder weather.

Amazingly, this will be the first true road playoff game for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Since being named the Chiefs’ starter, Kansas City had finished no worse than second in the conference until the 2023 season when they finished third. The only time he had a chance of playing a road game was in the 2019 season when Kansas City finished second. However, the Titans upset the Ravens giving Kansas City home field in the AFC Championship game. The closest Mahomes has ever come to playing a road playoff game was Super Bowl 55 when the Chiefs played the Buccaneers in Tampa’s home stadium.

This Chiefs teams looks far less efficient than previous years. Mahomes is still playing great, but Kansas City receivers lead the NFL in dropped passes. It’s a major reason why the Chiefs lost six games and fell to the third seed, losing a tiebreaker to Buffalo. The Chiefs receivers will need to find the magic of years past if they are going to beat a Bills team that has the most momentum in the postseason.

Buffalo Bills

In contrast, Buffalo looks like the best team in the AFC at the right time despite being the number two seed. After being 6-6 through 12 games, Buffalo got hot at the best time, winning six straight games. That run started with a win over these same Chiefs in Kansas City. It also included wins over playoff teams in the Cowboys and Dolphins and a Wild Card victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Buffalo’s real problem in this game will be the playoff experience itself. The Chiefs have played in five consecutive AFC Championship games, winning three of them. One of those wins came over Buffalo. That loss was the Bills’ only appearance in the AFC Championship game since their run of four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s. Their postseason matchups have been some of the best football of the 2020s, but Kansas City has come out on top in every playoff meeting during that timeframe, so far.

Chiefs vs. Bills Predictions

This is the game where things change. Remember the rivalry between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Brady won the first two meetings in Foxboro, but once they met in the postseason in either Indianapolis or Denver, Peyton won three of the five total meetings. I think we’re going to see something similar between Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. Whenever these two teams meet, I’m banking on the home team. Give me the Bills to win.

Final Score – Buffalo Bills 31 | Kansas City Chiefs 27

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