The Bills rivalry with the Kansas City Chiefs will take center stage in Week 11. The Chiefs come to Buffalo sporting a perfect 9-0 record and two straight Super Bowl victories. Buffalo leads the AFC East with an 8-2 mark and has won five games in a row.
Six of Kansas City’s nine wins have come in one-score games (7 points or less), and three of those nine victories have been wins of five points or less. Instead of blowing teams out like in the past, Andy Reid’s team is winning close games, something visible in great teams throughout NFL history.
Those close wins led Kansas City to a perfect mark in 2024. However, the fact that Patrick Mahomes finds his team in a close game every week means the 2024 team is a much different version than teams that have won three Super Bowls in the last five years. How will Buffalo handle its showdown with the undefeated Chiefs?
Examining The Bills Rivalry With The Kansas City Chiefs Ahead of Week 11 Showdown
The Bills Rivalry With The Chiefs In The Regular Season
The Bills and Chiefs have played each other every year since 2020. In the first meeting, the Chiefs were fresh off their first Super Bowl victory under Reid. Kansas City downed Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park 26-17. The other regular-season meetings have played out as follows:
- 2020 – Kansas City 26, Buffalo 17 in Buffalo
- 2021 – Buffalo 38, Kanas City 20 in Kansas City
- 2022 – Buffalo 24, Kansas City 20 in Kansas City
- 2023 – Buffalo 20, Kansas City 17 in Kansas City
The evidence suggests that the Bills can indeed defeat the Chiefs and do it on the road in Kansas City. The games are close and often come down to the final drives. The familiarity between the teams makes the showdowns closer than normal games.
A Different Story in the Postseason
While the Bills have a 3-1 mark against the Chiefs during the regular season, the narrative changes when the teams meet in the playoffs. Without even examining the evidence, fans know that the Chiefs have been to four of the last five Super Bowls. That in and of itself tells the story between the rivals in the playoffs:
- 2020 – Kansas City 38, Buffalo 24 in Kansas City
- 2021 – Kansas City 42, Buffalo 36 in Kansas City
- 2023 – Kansas City 27, Buffalo 24 in Buffalo
Reid had experience leading the Philadelphia Eagles to numerous NFC Championship games before leading Kansas City. He fixed what didn’t work in his first stop, even if it took replacing Alex Smith with Mahomes. Sean McDermott is one of the NFL’s better head coaches but is working to reach the same level as Reid.
Buffalo has the albatross of beating the Chiefs in the post-season around its neck like Steve Young did succeeding Joe Montana’s lead. Allen is easily one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL and could be a Hall-of-Famer if his level of play remains the same over the next seven to 10 years. Will he be able to exorcise the postseason demons like Steve Young did?
What Past Meetings Say About 2024 Showdowns
Outside of three meetings, every win in the Bills rivalry with the Chiefs has been by one score. The games have always been close and will be again in Week 11. The fact that Kansas City plays down to its competition means that the game will be just as close. Instead of routing the New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders, the Chiefs beat both squads 26-13 and 27-20, respectively.
The Chiefs allow 17.9 points per game this year, while the Bills average 29 points per game in its 10 games. The offense isn’t as potent as in the past but is efficient. It makes the big plays that often determine the outcomes. Leading the league in time of possession at 33:22 also reveals that the Chiefs sustain drives to eat the clock despite fielding one of its more pedestrian offenses.
Despite those facets, the Chiefs are still undefeated. McDermott, Allen, and the rest of the Bills know they must play an error-free game. Even if they do make mistakes, they must also force Kansas City into making mistakes of their own.
A Different Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes only has 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions. By comparison, Sam Darnold (17), Baker Mayfield (24), C.J. Stroud (12), and Brock Purdy (12) have the same amount or more passing scores than Mahomes. That fact means the Chiefs haven’t needed Mahomes to put up gaudy stats week to week. He just needs to make the right plays in the biggest moments. In past meetings, he’s done exactly that against the Bills.
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker expected to miss 3-4 weeks (knee) and will go on injured reserve. (via @TomPelissero, @rapsheet) pic.twitter.com/IzZu6Q94FD
— NFL (@NFL) November 14, 2024
Many faces and names have come and gone from each team. Both teams have endured injuries to top players. Buffalo has played the entirety of the season without linebacker Matt Milano. They’ll also miss rookie receiver Keon Coleman and tight end Dalton Kincaid.
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker will also miss the game. The latest chapter in the Bills rivalry with the Chiefs will come down to Buffalo changing how it’s played in the past.
Learning from mistakes to defeat a new version of their enemy could lead Buffalo to a big win over the Chiefs. What happens in the postseason if the teams meet yet again will be another story. Their history has shown that the winner in the regular season doesn’t matter in the playoffs.
Main Image: Mark J. Rebilas – USA Today Sports