AFC Divisional Round: Bills, Chiefs square off in title game rematch

This feels like the latest installment of what is going to become a defining AFC rivalry over the next decade or so.

We have a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship Game in the very same venue as the Buffalo Bills descend upon Arrowhead Stadium to face the two-time defending conference-champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday evening (6:30 p.m., CBS).

Last season was the Bills’ first appearance in the AFC title game since the 1993 season when they defeated none other than the Chiefs. In January of 2021 in Kansas City, the Chiefs exacted some revenge by scoring 21 unanswered points in the second quarter on their way to a 38-24 win.

The two sides met in Week 5 earlier this season with the Bills returning the favor in a 38-20 rout that featured 315 yards and four total touchdowns from Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen while Chiefs star passer Patrick Mahomes threw for 272 yards and two picks in 54 pass attempts.

This is a very different Chiefs team than what the Bills defeated back in October, though. Since Week 6, Kansas City went 10-2 to close out the regular season before doubling up the Pittsburgh Steelers 42-21 in the Divisional Round.

That was still five points fewer than what the Bills put up on the New England Patriots last week in a 47-17 beatdown.

Both Allen and Mahomes passed for five touchdowns in their Wild Card victories last weekend, but one can figure that neither quarterback will find a repeat of such successes in the Divisional Round.

The Bills’ defense was the best unit in football while the Chiefs embodied a “bend but don’t break” mentality with less-than-average numbers in terms of yards allowed, but they yielded the eighth-fewest points in the league this season.

Anyway, we can get used to this matchup in January.

Bills vs. Chiefs AFC Divisional Round Tale of the Tape

Bills vs. Chiefs AFC Wild Card Players to Watch

• Josh Allen, QB, BUF: 21-of-25, 308 yards, 5 TD, 66 rushing yards in Wild Card Game
• Dawson Knox, TE, BUF: 5 targets, 5 receptions, 89 yards, 2 TD in Wild Card Game
• Devin Singletary, RB, BUF: 16 carries, 81 yards, 2 TD in Wild Card Game
• Stefon Diggs, WR, BUF: 103 receptions, 1,225 yards, 10 TD in 2021
• Patrick Mahomes, QB, KC: 30-of-39, 404 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT in Wild Card Game
• Travis Kelce, TE, KC: 7 targets, 5 receptions, 108 yards, 2 total TD in Wild Card Game
• Tyreek Hill, WR, KC: 5 targets, 5 receptions, 57 yards, 1 TD in Wild Card Game
• Byron Pringle, WR, KC: 7 targets, 5 receptions, 37 yards, 2 TD in Wild Card Game

A version of this article first appeared on AMNY.com