Author: Heath McKeown

A Clash Of The Best: The Road To New Orleans

The 2025 AFC Championship matchup is all set to deliver another massive matchup with one of the NFL’s most compelling rivalries. For the fourth time in the past few years, the Chiefs and Bills are set to face off in the playoffs, more specifically with a Super Bowl berth on the line. The story always seems to feel the same, but Bills mafia and a lot of other NFL fans may have a different gut feeling this time around, as the Bills believe and are coming with new motivation and momentum after a really good playoff run so far. The Chiefs continue to show they can win games, especially in the postseason under Mahomes, making this another massive matchup that NFL fans are excited to see again. As the teams prepare to meet at Arrowhead Stadium, the stakes are high. The Bills want to get back into the superbowl for the first time since 1993 and finish off their strong and dominant season. On the other hand, the Chiefs aim to add onto their dynasty status with a three peat. The matchup is much more than just the two teams going against each other, but it can be seen as a collision of two elite quarterbacks doing whatever they can to win. Sunday’s game will deliver drama, emotion, and some great football.

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills enter the 2025 AFC Championship with a new sense of purpose, driven by a so far dominant first two playoff games where they destroyed the Broncos and beat the Ravens who were a tough challenge. The season has been a statement for the Bills, as they are even more determined each year to overcome the heartbreak they continuously face in the playoffs, particularly against the Chiefs. With a more balanced roster, and a quarterback who is playing at an elite level, the Bills have the Super Bowl within their vision.

Josh Allen: The Key To Success

Josh Allen has been the main piece of Buffalo’s success, putting together a season that showcases his dual-threat abilities. Allen finished the regular season off with 3,731 pass yards with a 63.6% completion percentage, 28 passing touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. His throws have been accurate, with 74.8% of his 483 pass attempts being on target, leading to 344 on target throws. Allen remains a threat to the defenses, as he is also a weapon on the ground with 531 rushing yards, and 12 rushing touchdowns. Allen’s ability to impact and control the game through the air or on the ground has placed the opposing defenses into difficult situations.

A Well-Balanced Offense

The Bills offense is not just Josh Allen, as they have other weapons such as James Cook. Cook was ranked the 8th best running back in the league this season with 1,009 rushing yards, 16 touchdowns and an average run of 4.9 yards per carry. Cook also averages 2.6 rushing yards before any contact, showcasing his ability to find the gaps. The Bills are lucky to have a great running back as it just causes more trouble for the opposing defense. Khalil Shakir has stepped up in big moments, leading the team with 100 targets and a big 597 yards after the catch. Shakir has continued to develop into a solid wide receiver. The addition of veteran Amari Cooper has provided the Bills with a reliable possession receiver who strives on third down plays. The Bills have two very solid Tight Ends as well; Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid, who have emerged as playmakers and can create mismatches in their favour. Kincaid was the second most targeted player on the team with 75 targets, showing Allen’s trust in him.

Playmakers on Defense

The Bills defense has also been impressive this season under head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich. The defensive line is led by players such as Ed Oliver, Greg Rousseau, Von Miller, who have been able to get constant pressure on quarterbacks. The linebacking duo of Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard has succeeded in the pass rush and pass coverage. Notably, during the regular season, Patrick Mahomes threw 2 interceptions against them earlier this season, showcasing the Bills ability to slow down elite quarterbacks. The Bills dominant win over the Broncos showcased how good the offence can be when everything is clicking. Against the Ravens in the divisional round, the Bills showed their toughness and grit to win close games and beat top opponents.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs also find themselves in a familiar spot as they prepare for another AFC Championship game, their fifth in the Mahomes era. The Chiefs know how to win, especially starting in January, as they have had much success in the playoffs. This season the Chiefs have had injuries along with inconsistencies, yet they are still a very dangerous team to face. Mahomes is the leader of the offense and is able to make this Chiefs team dominant.

Mahomes Leading The Way

Mahomes continues to prove that he is an elite quarterback and one of the best to play. His 2025 campaign has shown that he had another solid season with 3,928 passing yards, a 67.5% completion rate, 26 passing touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Mahomes has also had an accurate season, with 76.9% of his passes being on target. Although these numbers may not match his stats from his MVP seasons, Mahomes has proven once again that he is a winner. Mahomes can also run a little bit with 307 rushing yards, and 2 rushing touchdowns.

Travis Kelce: A Reliable Veteran

While Mahomes can be seen as the engine of the offense, Travis Kelce plays a big role in the Chiefs offense as well. Nearing the end of his career, Kelce has still been a reliable option for Mahomes, recording 823 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns. Kelce has been clutch on first downs though, with 47 of his receptions moving the chains. Although his touchdown production has gone down, Kelce still has the ability to move around and find soft coverage to get open for Mahomes. Earlier this season, the Bills managed to defeat the Chiefs 31-20 at home. But, this victory does not really matter now, as the playoffs are the only thing that matters.

Offensive Additions

The Chiefs have seemed to have the Bills number in the playoffs, winning three of their previous playoff matchups, and they will look to get a fourth. Kansas City was smart to add weapons such as DeAndre Hopkins, who is a solid veteran with elite hands, and Hollywood Brown who has explosive speed running a 4.27 40 yard dash in 2019 for his draft combine allowing him to stretch the defense vertically giving Mahomes a deep threat option or shorter routes as the defense may be drawn to Brown’s speed. The Chiefs have a dynamic running back duo with Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco. Pacheco plays with a very physical run style and Hunt is a versatile back who can run or catch, giving the Chiefs some more balance.

Defensive Strengths

On the defensive side of the ball, Kansas City has some playmakers such as Trent Mcduffie and Chris Jones. The Chiefs ranked 4th in points against this season, showcasing their defensive strength. Cornerback Trent Mcduffie has made a statement for himself, proving that he is a shutdown cornerback. Chris Jones remains one of the best interior defensive lineman. Jones’ ability to create pressure and disrupt the pocket will be a crucial factor in order to slow down Josh Allen. Another major factor has been Nick Bolton, who has executed 96 blitzes this season, showcasing the Chiefs defensive aggression approach.

Chiefs Game Plan

Stopping Josh Allen is no easy task, but for the Chiefs head coach Andy Reid needs to create a defensive gameplan to slow down Allen if the Chiefs want to have a better chance of winning the AFC Championship. To contain Allen, the Chiefs defensive line, especially Chris Jones need to focus on collapsing the pocket all while maintaining discipline. If they over-pursue their rushes, it can lead to chances for Allen to break free for big gains. Reid could also put a QB spy on Allen with Drue Tranquill, Nick Bolton or even Justin Reid, in order to limit Allen’s abilities. The secondary needs to focus on maintaining and shutting down Allen’s top options like Khalil Shakir, Amari Cooper and the TE’s. Mcduffie can take on a shadowing role, while the rest of the secondary would focus on zone schemes to cover any passing lanes. If they use this tactic along with adding in a mixture of blitzing, it could possibly overwhelm Allen causing turnovers. On the offensive side of the ball, the Chiefs need to capitalize off of the Bills weaknesses. The Bills run defense is ranked 12th in the league so we will be seeing more passing attempts from Mahomes, especially because the Bills passing defense ranks 24th in the league and the Chiefs passing offense ranks 12th. This opens an opportunity for Mahomes to find his weapons and create big plays through the air.

Bills Game Plan

Historically, Allen has struggled against the Chiefs as he is 0-3 against them in the playoffs. The Bills have also been outscored by 23 points in the past three games they have played against the Chiefs. Allen has matched Mahomes 9 touchdowns, but he just can’t seem to get a win. So, for the Bills to finally beat the Chiefs and Mahomes in the playoffs, their game plan needs to focus on slowing down Mahomes and exploiting the Chiefs defense vulnerabilities. Buffalo needs to keep applying pressure on Mahomes all game and keep him contained in the pocket. Players like Greg Rousseau and Ed Oliver are going to play big roles in containing Mahomes.

The Bills should drop extra defenders into coverage, as Mahomes has struggled a bit this season against zone-heavy defenses. The Bills defense needs to focus on limiting the big plays and watching out for Travis Kelce who is Mahomes favourite target. Kansas City’s pass rush led by Chris Jones is a strength for the Chiefs, but the Bills can neutralize it with quick throws or even getting Allen to move around. Josh Allen’s ability to extend plays and attack downfield will be the key to winning this game. The Chiefs are ranked 8th in run defense and 18th in passing defense, so the Bills will need to create momentum early and fast to get ahead in this game.

The Bills rank 9th in both rushing and passing offense so they will have opportunities to establish their run and pass game to take over the game. Trent Mcduffie has been an elite cornerback, but the other secondary for the Chiefs have shown vulnerabilities. Allen needs to not just target one or two of his players but get a variety of his receivers to get receptions. If the Bills can create long drives, maintain possession and keep putting points on the board, the Bills should have victory in sight.

The Final Steps Towards New Orleans

The 2025 AFC Championship game promises another thrilling matchup between 2 of the best and most watched teams in the league. With Mahomes and the Chiefs looking to three-peat as Super Bowl champions, the stakes are very high for head coach Andy Reid and his team. Their balanced roster can definitely add another ring to their dynasty. On the other side, the Bills are looking to get back into the Super Bowl after a while. Also having a blanched roster, the Bills have a new confidence as they want to prove that they are champions. This is a game that all NFL fans love to see, where two high powering offenses go head to head to seek a trip to New Orleans.