Chiefs vs. Bills: Week 6 Preview and Predictions
Less than a week after defeating the Las Vegas Raiders in an emotional Monday Night Football outing, the Kansas City Chiefs are back at home for a game with even higher stakes in Week 6.
Five weeks into the 2022 NFL season, it appears that the Chiefs and Buffalo Bills are the top dogs in an AFC that is otherwise still trying to figure itself out. Kansas City's offense remains an efficient machine and its defense is young and hungry, and Buffalo keeps humming along on both sides of the ball with one of the better head coaches in the league leading the way. Sunday's game is shaping up to be must-watch programming.
As such, there's a lot riding on the line for both clubs in this one. If the trend of Kansas City and Buffalo being supremely talented compared to other AFC foes holds going forward, this game could turn out to decide who secures the conference's top seed and home-field advantage come playoff time. Additionally, the winner of this matchup will dominate national conversations and likely be viewed as the best team in the entire NFL for the foreseeable future. Bragging rights and seeding rights could be in play on Sunday.
How will today's game unfold? The Arrowhead Report crew makes their predictions.
Joshua Brisco: Flip a coin and ride the lightning; this game should have all the makings of another Chiefs-Bills classic. However, without multiple key defenders, the Chiefs are facing Josh Allen and company short-handed while Buffalo hits its stride. I wouldn’t wager against Patrick Mahomes, but the Bills’ potential advantages in the trenches and against the Chiefs’ inexperienced defenders give them the slight edge.
Prediction: Bills 31, Chiefs 30
Jordan Foote: Despite them not even defeating the Chiefs to advance to the AFC Championship Game last season, I viewed the 2021-22 Bills as the best team in the NFL. That outlook remains the same here, as Josh Allen is arguably the second-best quarterback in the league and benefits from a solid cast of surrounding weapons and a top-flight defense. It's weird seeing Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs as home underdogs but in Week 6, it's deserved. There's absolutely a world where Kansas City sends a statement at home en route to a win, but I'm siding with Buffalo in a narrow victory on the road.
Prediction: Bills 30, Chiefs 27
Mark Van Sickle: The Bills are coming off an impressive win against an unimpressive Steelers team. The Chiefs are coming off a close win against an underachieving Raiders team. This is setting up for most people to pick the Bills over the Chiefs, and with good reason and logic behind those picks. However, betting against Patrick Mahomes when he’s an underdog isn’t something I would want to do. There’s also a chance the Bills will have some anxiety playing in Arrowhead after that heartbreaking playoff loss last year.
Prediction: Chiefs 38, Bills 34
Conner Christopherson: This is the matchup of the year. The Bills have looked dominant through five weeks of the season while the Chiefs have looked a bit flustered at times. It is to be expected for the Chiefs, who are in a retooling year and have the seventh-youngest roster in the league. That points to a Bills win in my mind. It could be a good thing for the Chiefs that I am not picking them, however, as every time I bet against the Chiefs they win. With that said...
Prediction: Bills 34, Chiefs 31
Zack Eisen: For me, this game is about determining where the rematch will be played in the AFC Championship Game. It is a battle between not only the two best teams in the AFC, but the entire NFL. The Bills came into the season as the overwhelming Super Bowl favorite, which is still the case. They have a high-flying offense led by MVP candidate Josh Allen and at this moment, a better defense than the Chiefs. However, the Chiefs have the greatest equalizer in sports: Patrick Mahomes. I believe the result of this game means more to Buffalo because of what happened last year in the playoffs, but with that said, Kansas City pulls out a close one at home.
Prediction: Chiefs 31, Bills 30
Marlow Ferguson Jr.: There’s not a coach-player-team combo that commands more trust and respect in the NFL than Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and the Kansas City Chiefs do. But on Sunday, Oct. 16, subscribing to the Buffalo Bills’ revenge game feels like the intuitive pick. For years, we’ve watched as teams in the AFC have tooled and re-tooled their rosters, using the regular season games against the Chiefs as their version of the Super Bowl. Knowing they’ve got the upcoming week off, the Bills may be slightly more motivated, slightly healthier, and poised to challenge a talented-yet-testable Chiefs secondary starting two rookie cornerbacks on Sunday. The Chiefs are the unquestioned pick in January and February — and when there are 13 seconds left — but the Bills might be the play here in an October regular-season duel.
Prediction: Bills 34, Chiefs 32
