1. Why Mitch Morse feels fortunate this weekend
In the 2019 offseason free agent Mitch Morse made the decision to sign with the Bills and leave what looked like a promising situation in Kansas City. His inclination proved correct, as the Chiefs went on to win the Super Bowl the year after he left.
Now another calendar year later, Morse is part of a division champion Buffalo team that will now face his former club for the right to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
"That's definitely crossed my mind," he said. "The last few years, the Chiefs have really established themselves as a very good football team. This year for us every week here we're trying to get better and better and there's always stuff to improve on and it's surreal. To be honest, I feel very fortunate to be in this position with this team and going to play in Kansas City will be a remarkable deal."
Morse also has the unique perspective of knowing the two young phenom quarterbacks in this game exceptionally well having been the center for both signal callers. Buffalo's pivot man believes the two QBs have two important traits in common.
"The first one is both of them are just good people," said Morse of Allen and Mahomes. "Usually in my experience, being a good person correlates to being a good football player. Guys rally around you and you bring the best out of them.
"Second, is competitive poise and by that I mean like they can both come into a huddle in crunch time and have a demeanor about them that permeates confidence throughout the huddle. And that's what you need in a quarterback, a guy that's always got your back."
2. Attention to detail at an all-time high
As NFL Conference Championship weekend sits two days away, the Bills are making their final preparations for their game with the Chiefs. Buffalo has been playing some of its best complementary football in the postseason.
While just about every player is supremely motivated this time of year on the NFL calendar, Jerry Hughes believes there's one area where the Bills may have an edge.
Hunger for a championship.
The Chiefs are less than a year removed from their Super Bowl title, and though they certainly want another championship, the hunger for the first is palpable in Buffalo's locker room.
"We all want the hardware," said Hughes flatly. "There are so many men who played, who've been in this business and busted their a--es to get in the NFL and they don't have any hardware to show for it. So my message to my teammates is take advantage of this opportunity, enjoy the moment because you never know when it'll come back. So I think the guys are embracing that.
"You want to feel that confetti fall from the sky. You want to be able to hoist that trophy up. You want to be able to bring a banner into your office and say I was a part of that team. I think that's why our play level has picked up in the playoffs, I think that's why the attention to detail around the building is at an all-time high because we understand what's at stake, to be two games away man. It's almost like a dream come true."
Buffalo's players and coaches know there's still plenty of work to do, but the end goal feels within reach and it has served as a powerful source in getting all of them to focus all the more on the task at hand.
3. Battle of wills
After a lack of execution cost the Bills in last year's Wild Card playoff at Houston the players in Buffalo's locker room have been committed to getting as close to perfect execution in this year's postseason as possible.
They came close to perfection with their defensive execution last week against the Ravens. They're now striving to achieve that in all three phases Sunday.
Even though they're facing the defending Super Bowl champs on Sunday, Bills RB Devin Singletary says it can't alter their approach.
"We've just got to execute, and that's really what it comes down to," he said. "I mean we know those guys. The Chiefs always try to fight to the end. They always try to find a way to win and that's what they're good at. So our will to win just has to be greater than theirs on Sunday."
