Bills already set up with built-in excuse if they fail to end Chiefs undefeated start

The Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs have developed what might well be the most entertaining rivalry in modern football — or at least the most entertaining new rivalry. With Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, respectively, helming these offenses, it's been one titanic showdown after another between the two.

Of course, the rivalry dates back much further than that but it's certainly been renewed this decade in a bigger and better way. And we'll add another in Week 11 as the undefeated Chiefs go on the road to Buffalo for a clash between arguably the two best teams in the AFC. The Bills would certainly love nothing more than handing Kansas City its first loss of the season.

But if they don't, they'll have at least one valid excuse to fall back on.

After rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman missed the Bills' Week 10 win over the Indianapolis Colts, head coach Sean McDermott didn't leave any suspense about the wrist injury, ruling Coleman out for the matchup with the Chiefs.

With Amari Cooper, who has missed the last two weeks for the Bills also with a wrist injury, also potentially questionable for the matchup, Buffalo not having its top two wide receivers is certainly something that could be blamed if they're unable to end the Chiefs' unbeaten start to the season.

Bills rule out Keon Coleman for Week 11 vs. Chiefs

It should be said, however, that the Bills looked just fine in Week 10, albeit against a Colts defense that is lesser than what Steve Spagnuolo and the Chiefs will throw at them and with Joe Flacco not making life too hard on the defense. Having said that, Josh Allen still threw for 280 yards and rushed for 50 more, though he did throw two interceptions, with players like Mack Hollins, Khalil Shakir and Curtis Samuel stepping up due to the injuries.

What's more, the way this rivalry has split over the past three years is working in Buffalo's favor, albeit probably much to the chagrin of the fan base. The Bills have won the last three regular season meetings between these two but the Chiefs have won the last three playoff matchups dating back to 2020. This is the regular season, though, and that's where Buffalo has had the upper hand.

Matchups between the Bills and Chiefs are never short on drama, whether it was the Kadarius Toney offsides penalty last year, the 13 seconds game in the 2021 Divisional Round, or even Tyler Bass' missed field goal in last year's postseason, we've seen plenty of big, memorable moments here.

But if the regular season trend favoring the Bills is bucked on Sunday, not having a player like Coleman to attack a thin Chiefs secondary could be an easy excuse to accept. Of course, it'll still be an excuse that Kansas City fans will inevitably mock, no matter how valid it is.