1. The Bills defense against Patrick Mahomes
NFL media members are going to talk a lot about how important this game is for Josh Allen to show he can play well in a big-time matchup this week. Allen is going to put up points against the Chiefs’ mediocre defense. This game will be won on the other side of the ball.
Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City’s electric offense wasn’t firing on all cylinders against Las Vegas last weekend. They’ll look to bounce back in a big way at Buffalo. The problem is that the Bills possess a much more talented defense than their counterparts with the Raiders.
Tre’Davious White will have his hands full against the talented cadre of wide receivers at Kansas City’s disposal, but he has the talent to shut one guy down on every play. The more interesting battle to watch will be to see whether or not Josh Norman can hold up on the other side of the formation. He’s looked good since returning to injury, but he’s not the star he once was during his days with the Panthers.
No matter what, Buffalo’s safeties will need to play great if they want to slow the Chiefs down. Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer will need to patrol the deep third while also supporting their front seven closer to the line of scrimmage on select downs. If they can avoid giving up big plays to Kansas City’s star-studded offense, they could doom the Chiefs to a two-game losing streak.