Bills visiting Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium to resume one of AFC's best new rivalries
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis celebrates after scoring against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, in Philadelphia. Credit: AP/Matt Slocum
BUFFALO (6-6) at KANSAS CITY (8-4)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, CBS
BETTING LINE: Chiefs by 11 1/2 according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Bills 4-8; Chiefs 7-5.
SERIES RECORD: Bills lead 28-24-1.
LAST MEETING: Bills beat Chiefs 24-20 on Oct. 16, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo.
LAST WEEK: Bills off; Chiefs lost to Packers 27-19.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen gets sacked by Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, in Philadelphia. Credit: AP/Matt Rourke
BILLS OFFENSE: OVERALL (4), RUSH (10), PASS (5), SCORING (5).
BILLS DEFENSE: OVERALL (12), RUSH (20), PASS (8), SCORING (5).
CHIEFS OFFENSE: OVERALL (8), RUSH (16), PASS (8), SCORING (T11).
CHIEFS DEFENSE: OVERALL (4), RUSH (19), PASS (6), SCORING (3).
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is tackled by Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zach Cunningham during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, in Philadelphia. Credit: AP/Matt Slocum
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Bills plus-1; Chiefs minus-6.
BILLS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR Khalil Shakir is emerging as Buffalo’s No. 2 option behind Stefon Diggs. The second-year player has 17 catches for 335 yards and a touchdown in his past five games while working in the slot and lining up outside.
CHIEFS PLAYER TO WATCH: TE Noah Gray had a single catch last week against Green Bay, but it was a short-yardage throw for a touchdown. If he can catch a couple of balls a game, perhaps Travis Kelce will have a bit more room to work.
KEY MATCHUP: Patrick Mahomes against Josh Allen. Sure, they aren't exactly matching up against each other in the traditional sense, but two of the league's best quarterbacks have played some doozies against each other past few years. And usually, the quarterback that has the better game has led his team to victory.
KEY INJURIES: Chiefs SS Bryan Cook (ankle), LB Drue Tranquill (concussion) and LT Donovan Smith (neck) are unlikely to play after getting hurt last week in Green Bay, while RB Isiah Pacheco (shoulder) missed practice time this week. LB Nick Bolton (wrist surgery) could come off injured reserve. ... Bills TE Dawson Knox (wrist surgery) and CB Kaiir Elam (ankle) returned to practice this week, though it is unclear when they will be activated off IR.
SERIES NOTES: The Bills have won two of the past three games in a series that goes back to their days together in the AFL in the early 1960s, but the Chiefs have won the games that mattered the most in recent years. That includes a 38-24 victory in the AFC title game in the 2020 season and a 42-36 overtime victory in the divisional round two seasons ago. That was the game in which the Chiefs needed three plays and 13 seconds to get within range for a tying 49-yard field goal at the end of regulation, then drove 75 yards for the winning touchdown in overtime.
STATS AND STUFF: The Bills are .500 or worse through 12 games for the first time since starting 4-8 during Allen’s rookie season in 2018. ... Buffalo has scored 66 points in its two games since offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey was fired and replaced by quarterbacks coach Joe Brady. The Bills scored 123 points in Dorsey’s final six games. ... The Bills are 2-6 in games decided by six points or fewer, including two overtime losses. Buffalo’s six losses have been decided by 26 points total. ... The past 11 losses for Buffalo have been decided by six points or fewer going back to a 41-15 loss to Indianapolis on Nov. 21, 2021. ... Allen has committed a turnover in each of his past eight outings (nine interceptions, two lost fumbles). He is 4-6 this season when committing a turnover. ... Allen’s nine TD runs are tied for his career best and his 47 TDs rushing are one short of the NFL record for QBs held by Cam Newton. ... TE Dalton Kincaid has 56 catches for a Bills rookie record for tight ends, and the second most by any Bills player in his rookie season behind Sammy Watkins (65) in 2014. ... Kincaid also ranks third in single-season catches for all Bills tight ends, trailing only Charles Clay (57) in 2016 and Pete Metzelaars (68) in 1993. ... Buffalo has blown a lead in the final two minutes in three of its losses. ... PK Tyler Bass has matched a single-season career-worst by missing five field-goal attempts, including one blocked and missing a 48-yard attempt wide right against Philadelphia. ... Mahomes and Kelce have 51 TD connections, tied for third most between their positions with Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham. ... Kelce needs one TD catch to pass Jason Witten (74) for fifth most by a tight end in NFL history. He needs three TD catches to pass Tony Gonzalez (76) for the most in Chiefs history. ... WR Rashee Rice has five TD catches, one shy of the Chiefs rookie record shared by four players. ... Rice has 591 yards receiving and needs 88 to pass Sylvester Morris for third most among Kansas City rookies. ... RB Isiah Pacheco has 11 TD runs over his first two seasons, the fifth most in Chiefs history. He also has 1,609 yards rushing and needs 108 to pass Abner Haynes for third most over a players' first two seasons. ... K Harrison Butker has made 23 consecutive field goals, tying his own Kansas City record set in 2017. He has not missed a field goal in 13 straight games, also tied with himself in 2017 and Pete Stoyanovich in 1997 for the most in franchise history.
FANTASY TIP: Diggs is always a must-start wide receiver, but he draws a difficult matchup against Kansas City, which has the sixth-best pass defense in the league. The Chiefs are much weaker against the run, barely ranking in the top 20, so it could be a good week to have James Cook in the lineup.
