KC Chiefs vs. Bills: What’s really at stake in AFC race?

The Kansas City Chiefs will face their biggest test of the season so far when they take on the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night at Arrowhead Stadium in a clash that could have big playoff implications down the track. It’s a mouth-watering matchup: a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship game with plenty on the line.

It may only be Week 5, but this game could shape the race for the playoffs and the AFC’s number one seed. The Chiefs have had a rocky start to the new season, but sitting at .500 after four weeks, they have a chance to turn their season around with a win and blow the AFC wide open.

A win for Kansas City will see them improve to 3-2, while also giving them a potentially crucial tie-breaker over the Bills come the end of the season. With no team really making their mark as the top team in the AFC so far, the Chiefs would also be right back in the hunt for the conference’s best record.

Defeat on Sunday night would not rule the Chiefs out in the hunt for the AFC’s number one seed and lone bye, but it would sure make things difficult.A loss will see the Chiefs drop to two games behind the Bills and potentially two games behind the Baltimore Ravens, too—both of whom would hold a tiebreaker over KC—and two games behind the Cleveland Browns. It would also see them stay rooted to the bottom of the AFC West for a third-consecutive week.

But a win would do more than just see the Chiefs move above .500 again. Crucially for Kansas City, Sunday night also provides them with the perfect opportunity to make a statement to the rest of the league. The Chiefs have yet to look convincing in any of their games so far. Their defense has been absolutely woeful and they sit in last place in the AFC West. But a win against a fellow Super Bowl contender in Buffalo could send a statement to every team in the league that K.C. is still the real deal.

Buffalo on the other hand will be out to make a statement of their own. The Bills have won three-straight games after an opening day loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, those wins have come against teams with a combined record of 4-8, so a win against K.C. would, without doubt, be their best result of the season.

It is bound to be an intoxicating matchup between two of the league’s heavyweights. Both teams feature high-powered offenses. Kansas City and Buffalo have each scored 134 points this season (tied for second-most in the league, while the Chiefs are second in the league in total yards (1710) and the Bills are sixth (1616).

While both teams have had success on offense, they are at opposite ends of the scale on the defensive side of the ball. Kansas City is second-to-last in the league in both points allowed (125) and yards allowed (1751), while Buffalo is number one in both those categories (44 points allowed, 867 yards allowed).

The two sides faced off twice last season, with Kansas City coming out on top both times. KC had over 200 yards rushing and more than 450 yards of total offense in Week 6 when they beat Buffalo 26-17, before thumping them again in the AFC Championship game 38-24.