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Chiefs News: The Chiefs know how to improve against the Bills

The last

Chiefs’ defensive failure against Bills last time out will fuel them into AFC title game | Athletics

On the other side, the defense was furious. The expression on linebacker Drue Tranquill’s face was one of anger. Safety Justin Reid was also seething. Linebacker Leo Chenal, however, said he will use his frustration as fuel.

“We want to remember that, maybe the next time we play them,” Chenal said. “We will definitely remember this feeling and how much it hurts.”

The Chiefs will get the rematch — with a rematch on the agenda for both teams — on Sunday night when the Bills travel to Arrowhead Stadium for the AFC Championship Game.

The Bills, the Chiefs’ most consistent challenger over the past five years, stand in the way of Kansas City’s quest for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl victory. The two-time defending champions will try to knock the Bills out of the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.

Why Travis Kelce is everyone’s favorite teammate | ESPN

“If I had to build a team out of these teammates that I remember and will always remember, Travis is absolutely the first team on that list,” said Smith, who retired in 2020. “He’s in the band. Travis is an energetic guy. You always feel better about every interaction with him.

“There aren’t many teammates you could say that about. Some relationships are so unique. Some people are so magnetic and you love being around them, and Travis is one of those guys.

Smith isn’t the only teammate who feels this way about the 35-year-old Kansas City Chiefs tight end. Others describe him as what you would expect: a bold, larger-than-life personality.

“He motivates us every time we step on the field, (like), ‘Let’s go boys, let’s go,'” said linebacker Leo Chenal, now in his third season with the Chiefs. “Every time someone makes a play, he specifically calls out to them or stands back after a play: ‘That’s great, that’s great. Keep it up, keep it up.

“He’s very friendly, but at the same time, he’s a great leader.”

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs have become NFL villains like Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, says Jeff Reinebold | Aerial sports

“We’re watching the Chiefs, and I think there’s a Chiefs fatigue in the general public,” Sky Sports NFL’s Neil Reynolds said on Inside the Huddle.

“They became the Patriots. Only Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have gone to more consecutive AFC Championship Games, they have repeated and reset like the Patriots.

“Now everyone thinks they get calls every week. I think Patrick Mahomes got a few calls on his behalf that he probably shouldn’t have gotten.

2025 NFL Free Agent Rankings: Top 75 Players Set to Enter Free Agency | PFF

2.G Trey Smith, Kansas City Chiefs

Smith’s 78.8 overall PFF grade in the regular season ranks him 11th among all guards, and he will still be just 25 years old when free agency opens. That’s a good combination for a big salary, considering several players at the position have signed deals worth or exceeding $20 million per year in 2024.

The complicated element when projecting a contract for Smith is why he fell to the end of the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft: He was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs. On the field, he is a highly prized free agent. Taking your health into account is the key issue.

NFL Playoff Picks: Predicting the winners of the Bills-Chiefs AFC Championship and Commanders-Eagles NFC Title Game | CBS Sports

The Bills played four road games against teams that ultimately made the playoffs (Ravens, Texans, Lions, Rams) and they went 1-3 in those games. Allen hasn’t played as well on the road as he has at home, and let’s not forget Buffalo’s defense. The unit has only given up 35 or more points in three games this season, and all of them have come on the road. The Bills have only given up 425 yards or more in four games this season, and you guessed it, they all came on the road.

The Bills have had a great season, but I just can’t trust them on the road against a team that hasn’t lost at home this year. Allen has the most playoff wins (7) of any QB in NFL history without going to the Super Bowl and he could end that streak with a win here, but I don’t think it will happen.

Every time the Bills have been to a Super Bowl, they’ve played an NFC East team and with the Eagles and Commanders in the NFC title game, I think the football gods are trying to push me to pick Buffalo, but I can’t. against history and the Chiefs seem determined to make NFL history this year by becoming the first team to win three Super Bowls in a row.

The choice: Leaders 26-23 on bills

Bills game record this season: 11-8

Chiefs games with selected records this season: 16-2 (My best record picking any team)

Bills-Chiefs game record this season: 1-0

2025 NFL Mock Draft: First round heavy on Ohio State stars | The United States today

32. Kansas City Chiefs – Donovan Jackson, G, Ohio State

Between Joe Thuney being called to move to the left side to resolve the urgency of protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blind side and Trey Smith’s impending trip to free agency, Kansas City’s offensive front will face some uncertainty once the season finished. Jackson is a strong, powerful presence on the interior who could succeed Smith, but he has also shown surprising ability at left tackle since being called up to replace that position.

Around the NFL

Vikings and coach Kevin O’Connell agree to multi-year extension | ESPN

The Minnesota Vikings and coach Kevin O’Connell agreed to a multi-year contract extension Tuesday, closing an unusual chapter and locking up one of the NFL’s best young head coaches.

Terms were not immediately available.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter also reported that the Vikings are working on an extension for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Like O’Connell, Adofo-Mensah signed a four-year contract when the Vikings hired him in 2022 and therefore has one year remaining on his contract.

O’Connell was unhappy after the 2023 season when owners Zygi and Mark Wilf opted not to extend his contract, ESPN reported, at a time when the franchise was planning to start over at quarterback. Several teams were positioning themselves this month to make trade offers if the sides were unable to agree on an extension, as Fox Sports first reported and ESPN later confirmed, given the possibility that O’Connell could still choose to simply work out his contract and become a coaching free agent in 2025.

Rams-Eagles playoff game generates 37.8 million viewers | NBC Sports

On Sunday, the Rams and Eagles played outside in the snow. Millions of people watched from the comfort of their homes.

According to NBC, the game generated an average audience of 37.8 million people.

It was the fourth-largest division audience for NBC since 1988. But it was lower than last year’s 40.4 million viewers who watched the Lions host the Buccaneers in Detroit.

This continues a downward trend for the NFL from last year. The Saturday afternoon audience increased from 32.3 million to 32.7 million. The Saturday night window fell from 37.5 million to 33.6 million.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Chiefs Roster: The 3 Biggest Offensive Questions Against the Bills

2. Can the Chiefs hold up against the Bills rushers?

In these teams’ last game, Kansas City had poor tackles against this pass-rush strategy. Playing left blocker, Wanya Morris couldn’t stop Gregory Rousseau. He was constantly getting pushed back into the pocket – or allowing Rousseau to take easy angles to take the corner. On the right, Von Miller compressed the pocket against Jawaan Taylor. Under these circumstances, Buffalo could prevent Mahomes from exiting the pocket, entering it, or dropping back to take an angle.

So the Chiefs will have to do better than they did in Week 11 – or even in the divisional round against Houston. On Saturday, we saw some of Joe Thuney’s warts as he played tackle. Although he plays with good technique — an improvement over what Kansas City’s other left tackles have done this year — he still gives up length and size to every edge rusher he faces. And we also still see inconsistent pass protection from Taylor.

There is some good news, though: Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter are not playing for the Bills. Although Rousseau (and other Buffalo edges) are solid, they will be easier to deal with than the Texans’ passers. I worry about Rousseau’s length against Thuney, but the Chiefs should feel better about their ability to protect Mahomes.