On Sunday, the AFC Revenge Tour Begins For the Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs could have begun their revenge tour against the AFC in Wild-Card Weekend if the Baltimore Ravens had made the playoffs. Unfortunately for all parties involved, that simply wasn’t meant to be.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were the team brought into Arrowhead to be slaughtered in front of a loud and proud Chiefs Kingdom last Sunday night. It was the same result that took place less than a month prior in the same venue. Chiefs won 36-10 in the first matchup and 42-21 in the rematch.

Now, things may get a lot more difficult for the Chiefs. The league is down to the final four teams in the AFC. The Chiefs are 0-3 against the three other teams that are left: The one-seed Tennessee Titans and four-seed Cincinnati Bengals — who are playing each other this weekend — and the three-seed Buffalo Bills, who will be coming to town for some Sunday Night Football.

Earlier in the 2021 campaign, the Titans simply dominated a Chiefs team who didn’t look prepared for a road game in Nashville. There were several defensive players who were either out for the game or not at full strength, and the Chiefs' leading rusher on the day was Patrick Mahomes with 35 rushing yards. It was just a bad day for the Chiefs, and they got crushed by a final score of 27-3. In order for a rematch to take place against the Titans, both Kansas City and Tennessee would need to take care of business this weekend. The Chiefs would then be on the road for a chance to get back to the Super Bowl for the third season in a row.

The Bengals were the last team to beat the Chiefs this season. This one is pretty fresh in the minds of Chiefs fans and players alike. The Chiefs looked like the better team that day, but a record-setting game by rookie wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase gave the Bengals a big boost (along with a lot of controversy surrounding officiating). If the Bengals can upset the Titans on the road, they could match up with the Chiefs in Kansas City for the AFC Championship game assuming the Chiefs win on Sunday.

The revenge tour officially kicks off against the Bills, though. Buffalo smoked the Chiefs in Kansas City during a Week 5 contest. A few big plays by quarterback Josh Allen — with his arm and also with his legs — were the difference in that one, a game that ended up being a 38-20 victory for Buffalo.

Just like in the loss to the Titans, Mahomes was the Chiefs' leading rusher with 61 yards on eight carries. He also threw the ball 54 times in that first matchup and he was limited to 274 yards along with two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Chiefs also lost two fumbles in the game.

Another issue for the Chiefs was the fact their defense didn’t force any turnovers. Losing the turnover battle 4-0 is a recipe for disaster in any game, let alone in a game against one of the best teams in the AFC. This is why we witnessed Mahomes losing at home by double-digits for the first time (and only time thus far) in his professional career. How can the Chiefs avenge their first loss to the Bills? Let’s look at the defensive side of the ball first.

First and foremost, they must limit the big plays. Last game, Allen extended several drives by running for a first down and even a touchdown on one of those runs. Kansas City needs to keep an eye on Allen at all times.

The receivers didn’t catch a ton of balls from Allen but when they did, they made them count. Tight end Dawson Knox had three catches for 118 yards and a touchdown. Stefon Diggs hauled in two passes for 69 yards. Emmanuel Sanders added three catches for 54 yards and two touchdowns. The Chiefs' defense needs to contain the big play in this game.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo also needs to send the blitz and mix things up. Allen gets flustered at times when blitzed and if Kansas City can force Allen into making some mistakes against a big pass rush and a loud Arrowhead crowd, that could go a long way toward getting a victory.

Offensively, Mahomes can’t be the Chiefs' leading rusher. Darrel Williams is banged up, but Jerrick McKinnon stepped up in a big way in the Wild-Card round against the Steelers. If McKinnon can keep it up, that would be huge for the offense. Clyde Edwards-Helaire is slated to return this week as well, while Derrick Gore will likely also slide into the mix on occasion.

This may sound simple, because it is, but playmakers need to make plays. Last weekend, we saw Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Byron Pringle, Mecole Hardman, and even Demarcus Robinson make big plays. The Bills won’t be able to cover everyone and because of that, Mahomes should make them pay. Focusing on making the catch and not dropping potential first downs that could extend drives could be big as well.

Another simple concept the Chiefs need to implement: don't turn the ball over. The biggest difference in the last game between these two teams was the turnover differential. If the Chiefs don’t turn it over, there is a great chance they come away with the victory and make a fourth straight AFC Championship Game.

With a home crowd in front of them and revenge on their mind, the Chiefs have what it takes to get past the Bills and keep their eye on the prizes ahead of them: another AFC title with a chance to hold the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season once again. This weekend's Divisional Round game is the first stop on the Kansas City revenge tour.

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