Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills: Breaking Down Kansas City's Game Plan

The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills are both 5-3 going into the second half of the season, but the Chiefs are the only five-win AFC team in position to make the playoffs at the moment. A win would be crucial for both teams, given that the winner will hold one of the two wild-card spots.

The Chiefs are currently riding a three-game winning streak and have won five of their last six games. They are just one game behind the Denver Broncos in the AFC West standings.

The Chiefs and Bills have some things in common on defense and might have similar game plans defensively to try to capture a win this Sunday.

Pressure Kyle Orton

It seems like an obvious game plan at this point, but everyone knows the Kansas City Chiefs will have its front seven attack the pocket and try to bring down Kyle Orton.

Outside linebacker Justin Houston leads the league in sacks with 12, collecting five in the past two games. With Houston’s consistency, the Chiefs know they can rely on him to get a sack or two in this game.

Behind Houston, the Chiefs have a couple of other viable pass-rushers in outside linebacker Tamba Hali, nose tackle Dontari Poe and defensive end Allen Bailey.

Block Buffalo’s Defensive Line

Bills defensive linemen Marcell Dareus (7.0), Mario Williams (6.0), Jerry Hughes (5.5) and Kyle Williams (2.5) have combined for 21 sacks this season. Kansas City’s offensive line has been inconsistent in protecting quarterback Alex Smith and may have trouble doing so in this game.

If the offensive line can’t hold its ground and allows Buffalo’s front four to get to Smith, it will be a long day for Smith and Kansas City’s offense.

Run The Football

The Kansas City Chiefs are sixth in the NFL in running the ball, while the Bills are eighth in stopping the run. Even with Buffalo’s stout run-stopping defense, Andy Reid needs to feed the ball to Jamaal Charles and get backups Knile Davis and De’Anthony Thomas involved. If Smith and the offensive line struggle against Buffalo’s defense, the Chiefs will be forced to turn to Charles to help lead this team on the road.

Historically, Charles has played well against Buffalo. He has rushed for 491 yards in six games, including games of 177 and 143 yards.

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