Which team’s stars will step up?
It’s hard to top the talent that will be on the field when the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs square off for the right to go to Super Bowl LIX. While that obviously includes quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, both teams have other star players who will be called on to step up on Sunday night.
The Chiefs are trying to make history by becoming the first team to win three straight Super Bowls. In the process, they would join the 1970s Steelers as the only teams to win four Super Bowls over a six-year span. But in order to do those things, they’ll first have to get past the Bills, who are in pursuit of their first trip to the Super Bowl since 1993.
Here’s a ranking of the five most important players in a game that could go down as an instant classic.
1. Josh Allen
No one has more riding on the outcome of this game than the Bills quarterback. While Allen’s career includes Pro Bowls, individual records and a lot of team success, it also includes an 0-3 playoff record against the Chiefs. A win on Sunday would go a long way for Allen’s legacy.
Against the Ravens, Allen did what he has mostly done all year: he played within himself, took care of the ball and made the necessary plays to win the game. While that may have worked against Baltimore, Allen will have to do that and more if the Bills are going to knock off the two-time defending champs.
Allen threw for 127 yards and ran for 20 yards on 10 carries against the Ravens. Yes, that game was played in brutal conditions, which obviously impacted Allen’s stats. But the point remains that Allen is going to have to put up bigger numbers on Sunday night, especially through the air. Expect Allen to play more aggressively against the Chiefs while continuing to be a force on the ground.
Specifically, how Allen fares in the red zone may significantly impact the outcome. Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady has alluded to his unit being more aggressive near the goal line after Buffalo settled for a field goal on fourth and goal against the Ravens.
2. Patrick Mahomes
Like Allen, Mahomes also had an uninspiring stat line in the divisional round. He threw for just 177 yards and was sacked three times by Houston’s defense. But also like Allen, Mahomes made the plays necessary to engineer a victory.
Don’t expect either quarterback to put up so-so numbers on Sunday. Both quarterbacks will take chances in an attempt to stay ahead of the other. For Allen, that will likely mean more aggressive throws and successful runs. For Mahomes, it could mean more intermediate throws and possibly some deep shots to his speedy receivers.
Possession downs will be critical for both quarterbacks. Whoever has more success on possession downs will likely be the winner. Look for the Bills defense to pressure Mahomes in these situations while testing the three-time Super Bowl MVP’s mobility.
For me, I’m looking for Mahomes to spread the ball around while getting more of his receivers involved. Specifically, Mahomes should try to get DeAndre Hopkins involved in the offense after the former All-Pro was targeted just once against the Texans.
Against the Texans, Kelce once again showed why he is on the tight end Mount Rushmore. The future Hall of Famer caught seven passes for a season-high 117 yards and a touchdown. Kelce’s big day included a 49-yard catch, his longest reception of the 2024 season.
I’ll keep this simple. The Bills’ chances of winning drops dramatically if Kelce has a similar game. Conversely, Buffalo will have a great chance of winning if Kelce is neutralized. This would not only neutralize Mahomes’ top target, it would force some of the Chiefs’ other playmakers to step up.
With that in mind, a big matchup in this game will be Kelce against Matt Milano, one of the NFL’s best linebackers in pass coverage.
This spot nearly went to Khalil Shakir, the Bills’ third-year veteran who has blossomed into the team’s No. 1 wideout. But the nod went to Cook given his overall ability to impact a game.
While he often plays second fiddle to Allen, Cook has had more than a few breakout games. He had one such game back in Week 15, when he ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns in addition to catching a pass for 28 yards in Buffalo’s 48-42 win over Detroit.
Recent history would suggest that Cook is in line for a big day. Along with his recent success (Cook ran for 187 yards in Buffalo’s first two playoff games), Texans running back Joe Mixon just ran for 88 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries against Kansas City. Like Mixon, Cook is a small but sturdy back who is capable of making plays both inside and on the perimeter. He’s also extremely difficult to bring down and often moves a pile several more yards.
Kansas City drafted Worthy in the first round with the idea that he would complement Rashee Rice. That plan, changed, however, when Rice suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4, thus catapulting Worthy into the No. 1 spot. Worthy responded with a very nice season that included six receiving touchdowns and three scores on the ground.
The Chiefs have gotten reinforcements at receiver with the addition of Hopkins and the return of Marquise Brown from injury. With Brown back, the Chiefs have the fastest receiving duo in football in he and Worthy, who clocked an insane 4.21 40-yard dash in last year’s combine.
Andy Reid seemingly always finds a way to get Worthy the ball, whether that’s in the backfield or down the field. Expect Reid to do so again on Sunday night. If the Chiefs succeed in getting Worthy involved, it would add insult to injury for Buffalo, who traded out of the draft pick that allowed Kansas City to take Worthy.
