Chiefs 'Stressing' One Critical Area to Slow Down Bills in AFC Championship Game

The Kansas City Chiefs respect the challenge of the Buffalo Bills' offense, so they're placing an emphasis on one particular element ahead of Sunday's game.

Nov 17, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo looks on from the sideline during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

If there's one thing the Kansas City Chiefs know better than just about every NFL team, it's the challenge of trying to slow down a generational type of quarterback. Their defense attempts to do so each time Patrick Mahomes takes the practice field, which could come in handy this weekend in the AFC championship game.

Josh Allen, after all, is the closest thing to Mahomes that there is in the league right now. The superstar signal-caller is equally capable of extending plays, avoiding sacks and putting on the proverbial Superman cape at his peak. Despite posting a middling 83.5 passer rating in Week 11's meeting between the two teams, Kansas City got a glimpse of Allen's best during pivotal moments of the game.

With Sunday's rematch on the horizon, the Chiefs are working to make things more difficult for the Bills' offense this time around. Speaking to the media on Monday, head coach Andy Reid singled out third-down performance as something the defense is focused on improving.

"Yeah, so one of the things we'll keep working on is you've got to be able to get off the field on third downs," Reid said. "We keep stressing that, [defensive coordinator] Steve [Spagnuolo] does, so you've got to be able to take care of those third downs, especially when you've worked so hard to put yourselves in a good position. Listen, the Bills do a heck of a job with that. They're a really good football team, offensively."

In November's Kansas City-Buffalo matchup, the home team was excellent on money downs. In addition to converting on one fourth down, the Bills went 9-for-15 (60%) on third down and got past the sticks on two of their three tries in the fourth quarter. Both of those efforts were on the club's last real offensive possession, keeping things alive en route to an Allen rushing touchdown that effectively put things on ice.

Advanced metrics also back up that efficiency. Per rbsdm.com, the Bills were absolutely bonkers on late downs with an 0.61 EPA/play average. That included a staggering 80% rushing success rate on five totes and an 0.76 EPA/play mark on 14 passes. For reference, Buffalo's offense yielded a net-zero average and a 23% success rate on its early-down plays. The game was won when the stakes were at their highest on each drive.

While the Chiefs may be "stressing" a remedy this time around, it remains to be seen whether it can be found. During the regular season, the Bills ranked seventh in conversion rate on third downs and Spagnuolo's unit was 26th at preventing them. In the divisional round of the playoffs, Kansas City let the Houston Texans go 10-for-17 on third down (59%) while Buffalo went 5-for-11 (45%) versus the Baltimore Ravens.

Something's got to give on Sunday in a stylistic clash that could prove to be what sends one side to Super Bowl LIX.

Read More: Andy Reid Explains Keys to Kareem Hunt's Evolution