This isn’t the best week for Buffalo to be hosting the Chiefs.
What loomed as a Thursday night matchup of undefeated AFC teams will now materialize late this afternoon at Bills Stadium (5 o’clock, Fox-TV, 95.7 FM, 100.1 FM, 550 AM) and with a decidedly different look.
To start, that meeting of unbeatens evaporated last week.
Kansas City (4-1), playing at home on Sunday before a reduced crowd, managed to lose to the division-rival Raiders, 40-32. Buffalo, also 4-1, two days later visited the coronavirus-wracked Titans and were manhandled, 42-16, in Nashville.
It could be argued that both teams, coming off unexpected losses, should be super motivated today.
But the Bills, for the third-straight home game, will be playing without a stadium full of inspiration-inducing fans.
ODDLY, the high-scoring Chiefs came into this week’s game tied for seventh in the NFL in points per game — 30 — the same as Buffalo and Baltimore (all three had scored 149). Ahead of them were Seattle (169), Dallas (163), Cleveland (156), New Orleans (153), Green Bay (152, but in only four games) and Las Vegas (151) before Week 6.
Buffalo’s offensive outburst has been courtesy of an impressive first quarter of the season by quarterback Josh Allen. But, Tuesday night in Tennessee, he endured a pedestrian game — 26-of-41 passing with two touchdowns (one basically a forward lateral), two interceptions (one the fault of wideout Andre Roberts) and a 77.6 passer rating.
And the Bills’ defense, which has ranged from below-average to lousy all season, was hardly equal to picking up the slack. It has surrendered 142 points, only seven fewer than Buffalo has scored. Those 28-plus points per game are 10th-worst in the league but the Bills, with one more touchdown surrendered in five games, would be 28th of 32 teams in the league.
Worse, since their 27-17 win over the Jets in the season-opener, Buffalo is giving up a horrendous 31 points and 401 yards per game.
Part of the Bills’ defensive problem has been an inability to generate a consistent pass rush with only 10 sacks, which ranks in the bottom half of the league. But even more compelling is the lack of persistent pressure, which is why coordinator Leslie Frazier’s unit is 24th in the NFL in passing yards given up per game (263).
Buffalo is also a minus-2 in the giveaway-takeaway ratio compared to the Chiefs’ plus-5.
OFFENSIVELY, though, the Bills stand up well to KC.
To start — and who thought it would be a reality this bizarre season? — a reasonable case could be made for Allen, through five games, outperforming the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, the defending Super Bowl and NFL MVP.
Allen has thrown for 14 touchdowns (3 interceptions) with three rushing scores and a 112.9 passer rating. Mahomes has 13 TD tosses (1 pick), two touchdowns on the ground and a passer rating of 107.3.
Unfortunately, the Bills’ offensive success has been heavily weighted toward the pass with the running game virtually non-existent.
Kansas City ranks 29th in the league against the run, giving up a generous 157 yards a game. However, Buffalo is 28th in the NFL in rushing, managing a mere 94 yards per start.
What appeared to be a solid Bills ground game before the season began has been the opposite. Second-year running back Devin Singletary hasn’t been nearly as elusive or productive as he was as a rookie and third-round draft choice Zack Moss, touted as the complementary power back, has been sidelined by a toe injury, but had struggled even before being hurt.
That’s one reason the Bills were interested in Le’Veon Bell after he was released by the Jets, only to see him signed by the Chiefs. However, he will be inactive tonight as will wide receiver Sammy Watkins (hamstring), the former Bills first-round draft choice.
AND WHILE tonight will mark only six games into the season, there are standings implications for both teams.
The Chiefs lead the AFC West and, with a loss, idle Las Vegas would move within a half-game of the division lead with a game in hand and the advantage of a head-to-head win.
Buffalo, by winning, would pad its lead over Miami (3-3) and New England (2-3), which was upset at home by Denver yesterday, and establish itself early on as the team to beat in the AFC East.
