As thrilling as last week's victory over the Las Vegas Raiders was for Kansas City, the Chiefs' upcoming matchup against the Buffalo Bills has the potential for even more fireworks.
It's a contest between two seemingly unstoppable objects. In other words, can future Hall of Fame pass-rusher Von Miller prevent quarterback Patrick Mahomes' ability to overcome any and all adversity in the pocket? It's one of several questions that will be answered on Sunday.
Through Week 5, the Bills' defense is allowing a league-best 12.2 points per game this season despite dealing with several injuries in their secondary. Just last week, the Bills held Pittsburgh without a touchdown on four trips inside the red zone as part of a dominant effort that yielded only three total points. With that all in mind, Mahomes will need to be at his best while leading what has been the top-scoring offense in the NFL this season.
"They're solid [on defense]. They have good players," Head Coach Andy Reid said. "You don't see a lot of weaknesses there. They are well-coached, and they understand the scheme. They've been doing it for a while now, and they've got it."
One player who the Chiefs will be relying on to break through that scheme is tight end Travis Kelce, who caught four touchdowns in Monday's win over Las Vegas. It wasn't just Kelce last week though, as wide receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Mecole Hardman each totaled more than 70 yards receiving. Pass-catchers JuJu Smith-Schuster, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jerick McKinnon and Skyy Moore were all involved, too, with multiple grabs.
"They are growing in this offense," Reid said. "They're hard workers, and because of that, that growth will continue."
Though the Chiefs struggled offensively at the beginning of the game last week, Mahomes is no stranger to leading comeback wins. He played with his emotions on his sleeve in Monday's victory, especially when Kansas City found itself down 17 points early.
Mahomes rode those emotions toward a huge come-from-behind victory, marking the 12th time in 22 games that the veteran passer has led Kansas City to a win despite facing a 10-point deficit. That's 57 percent of the time.
It's mind-boggling stuff, and while Mahomes certainly doesn't want to face a deficit like that on Sunday, the Chiefs will aim to produce some similar magic against a Buffalo defense that features playmakers at every level.
"It's about going out there and out-executing what they do schematically," Bieniemy said. "Patrick does a heck of a job with how he prepares. [That includes] his mental preparation – as far as studying – and knowing exactly what type of schemes we are seeing and what to anticipate."
Bieniemy stressed how much the Chiefs practice and prepare at game speed. It essentially serves as a rehearsal for what they plan to do come Sunday afternoon, but while the eyes of the football-watching world will be on this particular game, the emphasis this week was all about maintaining focus.
"Tomorrow can't happen if we don't take care of today." Bieniemy said, "Live in the moment today, so we can give our guys the best opportunity to go out there on Sunday and execute."
