Chiefs vs. Bills: Complete Week 10 Preview for Kansas City
The Kansas City Chiefs are preparing for a crucial road game against the Buffalo Bills as the winner takes the lead and possesses one of the two wild-card spots. With both teams at 5-3, the Chiefs currently own the sixth seed in the AFC.
Although the Buffalo Bills have been up and down at times and went through a quarterback switch earlier this season, this match could be Kansas City's most challenging game up to this point.
Buffalo's starting four defensive linemen combine for 21 sacks. While being able to apply pressure and get to the quarterback, Buffalo has also been very successful in stopping the run, ranking seventh in that category.
The biggest matchup will be Kansas City's running game against Buffalo's defense. Jamaal Charles is one of the more explosive playmakers in the NFL but will have to go against a sound and solid defense.
The two teams square off at 1 p.m. ET on CBS and look to take a big lead in the wild-card race.
Week 9 Recap
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The Kansas City Chiefs scored on their opening drive against the New York Jets last week and never looked back, winning 24-10 and shutting them out in the second half.
Alex Smith went 21-of-31 for 199 yards and two touchdowns, connecting in the end zone with tight ends Anthony Fasano and Travis Kelce. In addition, Charles finished with 78 yards.
From a defensive standpoint, Justin Houston shined again, recording a pair of sacks. He has five in the last two games and leads the NFL with 12.
News and Notes
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Chiefs go to London
Per the Chiefs' Twitter account, we learned on Thursday that the Kansas City Chiefs will lose a home game next season and host the Detroit Lions in London at Wembley Stadium. We provided Twitter reactions on Bleacher Report about the news, and the team received plenty of backlash for giving up a home game.
All NFL teams will have to do this at some point, and it will take some time for all 32 NFL clubs to do so. But the most frustrating part is the fact that Kansas City feeds off its home crowd. While Kansas City is technically the "home team," the Lions went from having to visit Arrowhead Stadium to playing the Chiefs at a neutral site.
Anthony Sherman gets a new contract
Terez Paylor of The Kansas City Star reported earlier this week that fullback Anthony Sherman received a three-year deal worth $7 million. Sherman has been a key player in Kansas City's offense, helping Charles in the rushing game. The Chiefs traded for Sherman, sending cornerback Javier Arenas to the Arizona Cardinals.
However, the surprising part about this is that general manager John Dorsey has signed two players since August. In addition to Sherman, Smith was given a four-year extension, yet Houston, arguably the team's MVP for the first half of the season, has yet to be re-signed.
Injury Report
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| Avery, Donnie | WR | Groin | LP | LP | - | - |
| Berry, Eric | S | Ankle | FP | FP | - | - |
| Fleming, Jamell | DB | Hamstring | DNP | DNP | - | - |
| Franklin, Jerry | LB | Hamstring | DNP | DNP | - | - |
| Gaines, Phillip | CB | Ankle/quad | FP | FP | - | - |
| Gray, Cyrus | RB | Hand | FP | FP | - | - |
| Hali, Tamba | LB | Knee | LP | LP | - | - |
| Hemingway, Junior | WR | Hamstring | FP | FP | - | - |
| Kelce, Travis | TE | Ribs | FP | FP | - | - |
| Martin, Josh | LB/DE | Hamstring/knee | DNP | DNP | - | - |
| Owens, Chris | CB | Knee | LP | LP | - | - |
| Smith, Sean | CB | Groin | - | FP | - | - |
| Zombo, Frank | LB | Non-injury related | - | LP | - | - |
The Chiefs have 13 players listed on their injury report. Donnie Avery has usually been ruled out by this point in the past couple of weeks but is now questionable for Sunday's game. While Avery was quiet in the first couple of games, the Chiefs will need him to help complement Dwayne Bowe and Travis Kelce in the passing game.
Injury report courtesy of KCChiefs.com
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Key Matchups and X-Factor
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Chiefs offensive line vs. Bills defensive line
As highlighted earlier in the slideshow, the Bills have a dominant defensive line with 21 sacks through eight games. Mario Williams, Marcell Dareus, Kyle Williams and Jerry Hughes will give Kansas City's offensive line some trouble. The starting four defensive linemen have also been a force against the run, helping the Bills rank sixth. If the Chiefs can't block for Smith or pave the way for Charles, it could be a long day for the offense.
OLB Justin Houston vs. RT Seantrel Henderson
Rookie Seantrel Henderson will have his hands full when he goes up against one of the best defensive players in Houston. According to STATS, LLC, Henderson has allowed five sacks this season. Houston has had a hot hand lately with two consecutive multi-sack games. He has a chance to do so again.
X-Factor: RB De'Anthony Thomas
We have seen the Chiefs insert rookie De'Anthony Thomas on a couple of offensive plays, and he has come away with a few flashes. He also took a kick return back 78 yards, giving the offense great field position with less than two minutes to go in the first half.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid may consider using Thomas more on offense, as the Chiefs will need a secret weapon to beat Buffalo's defense. Thomas may also need to come through on special teams, as it is possible this could be a low-scoring game.
Prediction
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Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson and Bills offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett have a lot of respect for the opposing defenses and know they can create plenty of problems.
While Kansas City won five of its last six games, its opponents scored 20 or fewer points in the five wins. Even though the team fell to San Francisco during the six-game stretch, the Chiefs only surrendered 22 points.
Kansas City's defense should play well again, even on the road—it has done well away from home this year.
However, can Kansas City's offense get the job done against Buffalo's defense? As mentioned in this slideshow, Buffalo has the ability to beat down an offense, and Kansas City should be ready for anything it sends its way.
Don't be surprised if this is a low-scoring game. One or two touchdowns might be enough for either team to pick up the win.
Prediction: Bills 13, Chiefs 6
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