Buffalo Bills fans are likely watching many Kansas City Chiefs fans celebrate the fact that their star receiver, Rashee Rice, is all but confirmed to be available and not suspended for the first four games of the season. News broke on Thursday that Rice's hearing will be on Tuesday, Sept. 30, and that any discipline is likely to come after. And while that might excite the Chiefs side of this AFC rivalry, that's actually phenomenal news for the Bills as they aim to take hold of the AFC, specifically the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage in the playoffs.
The Chiefs have obviously been a thorn in the side of Josh Allen's Bills, particularly in the playoffs, so getting to play in the Buffalo tundra is something that would be welcome for any type of advantage. However, the Bills have the unkind task of needing to best both Kansas City and the Baltimore Ravens, among other potential sleeper contenders, to be able to secure the AFC's No. 1 seed.
Luckily, the apparent timing of Rice's suspension, which SI insider Albert Breer suggested should be five or six games, works completely in the Bills' favor.
That's because the Chiefs' first four games on the schedule will include the Chargers, the Eagles, the Giants and then, most importantly, the Ravens. Kansas City will welcome Lamar Jackson and Co. to Arrowhead on Sept. 28, the Sunday before Rice's hearing and the likely last game before his suspension kicks in. The Bills, meanwhile, don't play the Chiefs until Nov. 2, which happens to be right when Rice is likely to be suspended.
Bills gifted massive break with Rashee Rice suspension update in AFC race
Whether Rice is suspended starting in Week 5 or if the NFL drags its feet a bit on handing down its discipline following the Sept. 30 hearing and it doesn't start until Week 6, the Bills place on Kansas City's schedule falls in Week 9, meaning it would either be the fifth or fourth game since the start of Rice's suspension.
If you're wondering how crucial that is, Rice is expected to be the focal point of the Chiefs passing offense once again. While a healthy Hollywood Brown or a second-year breakout from Xavier Worthy are possible, there's not a soul in the Kansas City receiving corps that offers the same reliability for Patrick Mahomes as Rice, which we saw routinely after his season-ending knee injury a year ago.
That's an advantage for the Bills in itself, catching the Chiefs at an opportune time based on this latest update about when Rice's suspension could be handed down. However, there's even more to it than that.
Buffalo also gets an advantage over the Ravens with how the Chiefs schedule breaks
As mentioned, the Ravens won't get the same benefit as the Bills when it comes to Rice. With the hearing set for the week after the Chiefs welcome Baltimore to town, the Ravens will have to play the AFC's perennial boogeyman at full strength with Rice on the field. So not only is Buffalo getting the advantageous matchup, their other big competition in the conference isn't quite as lucky.
Just on the surface, that could be a one-game swing in the Bills' favor. However, it could go beyond that. Buffalo and Baltimore, of course, are slated to square off on Sunday Night Football in Week 1, which makes the Chiefs-Rice component of this even more critical.
If the Bills were to lose the opener, even at home, to the Ravens, the shared matchup with the Chiefs could even the playing field in the standings. If Buffalo wins the season opener, though, they now have a prime opportunity to gain another game and advantage on Baltimore in the season-long race. It's a win-win, without question.
Of course, the most pivotal aspect of this is the Bills taking advantage of the opportunities that now present themselves in the wake of this Rice suspension news. But there's no denying that Buffalo has to be feeling quite good with how things are breaking in their favor before the season even begins.