3 lessons the Bills need to remember from their Week 11 win over the Chiefs

In one of the most highly anticipated NFL regular-season matchups in recent memory, the Buffalo Bills ended the Kansas City Chiefs' dream of an undefeated campaign back in Week 11, as Josh Allen put on his Superman cape in the fourth quarter and led his team to a 30-21 victory.

But as the Bills know all too well, the Chiefs are a completely different animal once the postseason rolls around.

Buffalo and Kansas City have met in each of the last five regular seasons, with the Bills taking the last four of those matchups. But in the three postseason meetings between the two teams in the last four years, Buffalo has been sent home each time.

Obviously, Sean McDermott's squad is looking to avoid that same misfortune this Sunday when they travel to Arrowhead Stadium to once again battle their bitter rivals in the AFC Championship Game.

Again, the Chiefs are a different team come January and February. But if the Bills can do some of the same things they did back in November, they could finally get this monkey off their back and return to the Super Bowl for the first time in 31 years.

The Buffalo defense can't let Patrick Mahomes get comfortable

While Josh Allen's fourth-quarter heroics will always be what's most remembered from the Bills' Week 11 win over the Chiefs, the Buffalo defense played a big part in that victory.

And for the Bills to win this upcoming AFC title game, Bobby Babich's unit will undoubtedly need to step up once again. Specifically, Buffalo simply can't let Patrick Mahomes get comfortable.

Back in November, the Bills wasted no time in making the two-time NFL MVP's life miserable, as the front four put pressure on him and forced him into an errant throw on just the second play of the game, which ended up in the hands of Buffalo safety Taylor Rapp.

Allen and the offense quickly capitalized on the turnover on the ensuing possession, embarking on an eight-play, 65-yard drive that resulted in a James Cook touchdown to give the Bills an early lead.

The defensive pressure continued throughout, as the Bills registered seven quarterback hits (six different players contributed there), three tackles for a loss, and a pair of sacks.

Buffalo also recorded a second interception, as Terrel Bernard, who had one of the team's two sacks and eight total tackles, picked off Mahomes on the drive that followed Allen's ridiculous 26-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.

Overall, Mahomes threw for 196 yards, the lowest total in any game he's played against the Bills. Babich needs to remember exactly what he did in Week 11 this Sunday to keep the three-time Super Bowl MVP from getting comfortable.

Keep Travis Kelce in check

While Mahomes will always be the straw that stirs the drink for the Kansas City offense, Travis Kelce has obviously done his fair share of damage for the Chiefs in the postseason over the years.

And that includes scoring two touchdowns in the Chiefs' 27-24 win over the Bills in last year's Divisional Round matchup in Orchard Park, a game in which he ultimately caught five passes for 75 yards.

In Week 11, in addition to not letting Mahomes get comfortable, the Bills were able to completely shut down the 10-time Pro Bowler, holding him to just two receptions for eight yards.

That'll be a tough task to repeat, but Buffalo can't let Kelce run free on Sunday. The Houston Texans made that mistake this past weekend, and No. 87 made them pay, catching seven passes for 117 yards with a touchdown.

The Bills need to stick with their "everybody eats" philosophy on offense

One of the beautiful things about the Buffalo offense is its "everybody eats" mentality.

And while the Bills got away from the run a bit too much in Week 11, which was somewhat understandable given how good the Kansas City defense is in that regard, the Buffalo offense still had a solid day, racking up 366 total yards.

Even with tight end Dalton Kincaid and rookie wideout Keon Coleman sidelined with injuries (both will be in the lineup this Sunday), Allen still completed passes to seven different players, ultimately completing 27 of 40 passes for 262 yards.

Khalil Shakir led all receivers that night at Highmark Stadium with eight catches for 70 yards, and Curtis Samuel had his best game in a Bills uniform to that point, catching five passes for 58 yards and a touchdown.

When Allen spreads the ball around like that, opposing defenses have a tough time getting comfortable. And given what No. 17 can do with his legs, that makes things all the more challenging.

It could serve Buffalo better to use James Cook a little more this time around, as he only logged nine carries for 20 yards against the Chiefs in Week 11. The third-year back has been on a tear lately and is averaging 93.5 rushing yards thus far this postseason.

Plus, going to the ground a little more will help the Bills win the time of possession battle, just as they've done in each of their first two playoff victories.