6 days Ago By Dan Treacy
The Chiefs have looked remarkably vulnerable and unsinkable at the same time this season, and the Bills know all about how it feels to be on the losing end of a nail-biting game against Patrick Mahomes. In the regular season, however, arguably no team is better than Buffalo at getting the best of Kansas City. The Bills have won each of their last three regular season contests against the Chiefs, all of which were played at Arrowhead Stadium.
Last season's matchup even ended in some controversy when a would-be Chiefs touchdown was wiped out by a Kadarius Toney offsides penalty. The playoffs are an entirely different story. The Bills don't have to worry about that just yet, though.
A win on Sunday would not only end the Chiefs' bid for an undefeated season but suddenly tighten the race for the AFC's top seed with plenty of time for Buffalo to make up more ground. Here's a look at the AFC playoff standings entering Sunday and how the matchup between the Bills and Chiefs could impact each team's outlook. NFL HQ: Live NFL scores | Updated NFL standings | Full NFL schedule AFC playoff standings Seed Team Record 1 Chiefs 9-0 2 Bills 8-2 3 Steelers 7-2 4 Texans 6-4 5 Ravens 7-3 6 Chargers 6-3 7 Broncos 5-5 The Chiefs entered Week 11 with a 1.
5-game lead over the Bills atop the AFC, earning some cushion with an unbeaten start to the season. Kansas City still faces all three AFC division leaders, from the Bills on Sunday to the Texans and Steelers in December, so the opportunity is there for Buffalo or Pittsburgh to rise to the top of the conference. A win over the Bills, however, would put the Chiefs in complete control of the race for the No.
1 seed. Here's how a win or loss would impact each team's outlook. Chiefs playoff picture The Chiefs are sitting comfortably atop the AFC at 9-0, even if most of their wins have been anything but comfortable.
With a 1.5-game advantage over the Bills, a three-game lead in the AFC West and games still to come against the lowly Panthers, Raiders and Browns, it's clear Kansas City is in the driver's seat for the AFC's only playoff bye. The Bills can change that rather quickly.
While a Buffalo win would still leave the Chiefs in control of their own fate, it would leave the Bills with the tiebreaker and put pressure on Kansas City to keep its foot on the gas with only a half-game lead. A Chiefs win, however, would put the team at least two games ahead of the rest of the pack in the AFC. The Bills' path to surpassing Kansas City would be extremely difficult, given they would sit 2.
5 games back and lose the head-to-head tiebreaker, while the Steelers and Ravens would sit multiple games back regardless of who wins their AFC North matchup on Sunday. Baltimore already lost the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Chiefs with its Week 1 loss at Arrowhead Stadium. MORE: Details on reported home burglaries of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce Bills playoff picture The Bills are hoping this season plays out the same way it did between the Broncos and Patriots in 2015.
Denver entered a Week 12 matchup with the New England at 8-2, while the Patriots were 10-0. A Patriots win would have made Tom Brady and co. effectively a shoe-in for the No.
1 seed in the AFC. Instead, the Broncos won in overtime and slashed New England's advantage to one game while picking up the tiebreaker. Both teams lost games down the stretch, but the Patriots lost one more.
Denver earned the No. 1 seed on the final day of the season, and that likely made all the difference in the playoffs. The Broncos would narrowly survive the Patriots in the AFC championship and win the Super Bowl.
The Bills face almost the exact scenario the Broncos did against the AFC's mightiest team. A loss would make it extremely difficult for Buffalo to climb to the No. 1 seed.
A win, however, would leave the Bills just one game behind the Chiefs in the loss column and give Josh Allen's squad the tiebreaker. The Chiefs don't face a gauntlet of a schedule down the stretch, but with the close calls they've had, matchups against the Texans, Steelers, Chargers and even Broncos might not be so easy. In the AFC East, the Bills are coasting with a 4.
5-game lead and the tiebreaker over the Dolphins, potentially setting up for a chance to clinch the division before Thanksgiving. Chiefs schedule vs. Bills schedule Week 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Chiefs at Panthers vs.
Raiders vs. Chargers at Browns vs. Texans at Steelers at Broncos Bills Bye vs.
49ers at Rams at Lions vs. Patriots vs. Jets at Patriots The Chiefs hit a light stretch of their schedule after Sunday, with the Panthers and Raiders next followed by Justin Herbert and the Chargers.
The toughest remaining stretch of Kansas City's schedule comes in late December with matchups against the Texans and Steelers just four days apart. The Bills have to get through a bit of a gauntlet after their bye before a much lighter final three weeks. Buffalo hosts the reigning NFC champion 49ers in Week 13 before a road trip that includes the Rams and NFC-leading Lions.
The Bills will finish up with two games against the Patriots and one against the Jets, with both teams 3-7 through 10 games..
