1. Can any defensive plan limit Patrick Mahomes?
Much like Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes can find success in the air and on the ground. With a roster loaded with talent, Mahomes has several players he can look to for help. If he plays on Sunday, limiting his opportunities will be key.
When the Bills faced the Chiefs in Week 6, the plan was to make Kansas City run the ball by limiting the Chiefs' opportunities in their passing attack. Kansas City rushed for 245 yards and won 26-17. Buffalo was down by just six points with 6:34 to go in the fourth quarter, but couldn't stop the Chiefs from scoring on the following drive and threw an interception on their next possession.
Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said his team has learned from that game and will try to implement some of what they learned into this weekend's matchup. Frazier explained the toughest thing to do is keep Mahomes in the pocket.
"That's probably what everybody talks about but it's hard to do, and that's keep him in the pocket," Frazier said. "Don't let him scramble around and make plays. Try to confuse him and try to make it hard for him. If he gives you an opportunity to make a play on the ball, make those plays.
"You have to do a good job in the run game to try and make them one dimensional. As much as people talk about how good he is throwing the ball, you really don't want them to be a balanced offense. Try to make them one dimensional. If you can, then your defensive line and your secondary has to step up and make some plays, and that's what we're counting on."
2. This Bill makes PFF's best NFL players list
The NFL season isn't over yet for the Bills, but PFF is already looking back at the best players of 2020. Quarterback Josh Allen made the list as the biggest surprise among QBs.
BIGGEST SURPRISE: JOSH ALLEN, BUFFALO BILLS
Grade: 90.9
The Allen who took the field in 2020 looked very different from the Allen who posted a 65.3 PFF grade across the 2018 and 2019 seasons combined. The work he put into changing his throwing mechanics in the offseason clearly paid dividends in the accuracy department. Per PFF's accuracy charting data, Allen went from throwing an uncatchable pass on 26% of his passes across his first two seasons — the worst mark in the league — to 16% during the 2020 regular season, fifth best in the NFL.
After beating the Ravens, Allen joined Patrick Mahomes and Ben Roethlisberger as the only quarterbacks to have multiple wins and a 100+ passer rating in a single postseason when they were under the age of 25.
3. These Bills make PFWA's All-NFL and All-AFC teams
Pro Football Writers of America announced their All-NFL, All-AFC and All-NFC teams, and a few Bills made the list. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs, cornerback Tre'Davious White and receiver/returner Andre Roberts made the team.
Diggs is a first-time selection for the All-NFL team. White and Roberts made the All-AFC team.
During the regular season, White led the Bills with three interceptions and 11 passes defensed. Diggs led the NFL in receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,535) and became the first Bill to lead the league in such categories. Roberts had the highest kick return average (30 yards per kick return) in the league.
Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll noted even though several players are getting recognized for individual success, the team is full of selfless players.
"You have to bring in the right type of guys and then you have to communicate with those guys and let them know how important they are to team success," Daboll said. "It's not all about success. You're trying to get a win. You have to buy into that. So, I think the culture that Sean's [McDermott] created has been really good. You need a bunch of selfless players on a team. It's hard to win when you've got a bunch of selfless ones."
