The Buffalo Bills returned to a walkthrough practice on Wednesday ahead of their AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
While they understand the magnitude of this game, they understand that their preparation starts with a good week of practice.
"One, have a good week of practice, making sure that what we're putting into the game plan, guys are understanding it and going out there and practicing hard," QB Josh Allen said. "Then when we get on the field on Sunday, just trusting in the game plan, trusting in each other and have fun playing the game."
The Bills and the Chiefs have played each other eight times throughout the last five seasons, the first time that they faced each other in the AFC Championship game was in the 2020 season.
Head coach Sean McDermott said what he remembers the most about that game was that there were a limited number of fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic and how different the world was compared to now. He is excited that this game will be different because he knows that Bills Mafia will travel well.
"This one will be a little bit different, just from a crowd standpoint, and I'm sure we'll have a great number of Buffalo people there as well," McDermott said.
Allen was also asked by reporters to recall the game and he said that his recollection was the feeling of not pulling through then, but that he is being positive about the opportunity that they have in front of them.
"Every year that you go through in this league, you learn more things about yourself, about your team, about the game of football," Allen said. "We're just grateful and humbled to have another opportunity at it. It's another week that we get to play. There's only four teams playing right now, so we look at that and we just love the opportunity that we have."
Allen said that having Bills fans in attendance will be huge for the team on the road.
"We've gone on the road, we've played at home, our fans travel everywhere and anywhere that we play," Allen said. "We've got the best fans in the NFL and just love … I think that the connection with our fan base is unique in the NFL."
Although they have played the Chiefs once this season already, McDermott said — just as with the Baltimore Ravens — that this will be a completely different game.
"That game stands alone, as this game will as you saw with our experience last week, these games are individual of each other," McDermott said.
Allen also elaborated on some of the emotions that he has felt throughout the week leading into Sunday, citing gratefulness as his main emotion heading into the matchup.
"Gratefulness to be back in this situation of having a chance to play in the Super Bowl," Allen said. "Obviously you got to go put in the work and not cheat it and put your best foot forward to give yourself a shot."
While some of this roster has been in this position before, there are a wide variety of players that have never advanced this far in the playoffs like WR Amari Cooper who expressed his excitement for the game.
"I've never been this far in the playoffs, and we get this far, it's like you can taste it," Cooper said. "This is what you dream of. I've had tremendous years in the league, Pro Bowls and all those things, but none of them will amount to winning that last game."
Allen likened this game to a division game because they have played each other so often over the last five seasons.
"I feel like we've played them just as much as we've played the guys in our division, with that comes familiarity," Allen said. "New wrinkles here and there throughout the game… It literally just comes down to who executes well on Sunday."
When asked if that familiarity helps, RT Spencer Brown said that it is beneficial in some ways and not so much in others.
"When you know what they try to do, they know we're going to try to do, communication is limited, because they've heard the calls," Brown said. "This is going to be down to execution, technique, fundamentals, controlling the line of scrimmage, and not turning the ball over."
McDermott spoke about the mindset that this team has in not being afraid to lose games. Cooper, who is an avid chess player, also spoke on that mentality, using a chess saying.
"There's a saying in chess, 'Don't play to win the game. Don't play to lose the game. Don't play to draw the game. Just play chess,'" Cooper said. "It's the same thing with football, you can't be afraid of losing. You just got to go out there and play football. You practice all week. You practice the fundamentals. Now just go out there and do what you practice. And then the rest will fall into place."
Although the locker room is fully aware of what is at stake for this game, Allen also said that there is a balancing act of making sure that the moment does not overtake him and his teammates, especially those that have not been in this position before.
"Just making sure that they understand that this doesn't happen all the time for every team and being in the moment like this," Allen said. "There's a lot of guys who have played a lot of years in this league that have never played in the playoffs let alone in the AFC championship game, making sure that they're enjoying the moment as well… at the end of the day we're playing football and it's the same kids game that I grew up loving and I'm just very grateful to be here."
Injury Report
- Full: S Damar Hamlin (Rib), CB Taron Johnson (Neck/Shoulder), TE Dalton Kincaid (Knee), DB Cam Lewis (Shoulder), C Connor McGovern (Shoulder), DE Greg Rousseau (Finger), LB Dorian Williams (Elbow)
- Limited: CB Christian Benford (Concussion), LB Matt Milano
- Did not participate: LT Dion Dawkins (Illness), S Taylor Rapp
