Bills' matchup with Kansas City Chiefs is the first in a series of tests that will define Buffalo's 2024 season
It's time to turn the page to this week's matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, which will be a huge game in its own right. Buffalo has a painful recent history with the Chiefs, losing to them in the playoffs in three of the last four years. But for Buffalo, this isn't the only test […]
It's time to turn the page to this week's matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, which will be a huge game in its own right. Buffalo has a painful recent history with the Chiefs, losing to them in the playoffs in three of the last four years. But for Buffalo, this isn't the only test that they'll have.
After the Chiefs' game in Orchard Park, Buffalo will head to their bye week. After that, the Bills will have a series of tough games that will define how the season, and their playoff seeding, goes.
To start the season, Buffalo has only played three teams that currently have a winning record — the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, and Houston Texans. In two of those three games, the Bills looked horrible. Outside of those matchups, the Bills' haven't been tested much. Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Tennessee, the Jets, and Miami all look like they'll be on the outside of the playoff picture.
After the bye week, fresh off a game with the undefeated Chiefs, the Bills have games against the 49ers and the Lions in two of the following three weeks. San Francisco has underperformed a bit due to injuries, but the return of running back Christian McCaffrey changes the dynamic of the offense immensely.
The Lions, who currently stand at 8-1, are an elite and gritty team on both sides of the ball. Having to travel to Detroit, where the home fans are rowdy and head coach Dan Campbell will have them ready to bite kneecaps, it will be the toughest road game of the year for Buffalo.
The Bills still have everything in front of them and are running away with their division, but from now through the remainder of the season, there will be a handful of tough challenges (and a potential letdown game at the Rams in between) that will test the mettle and fortitude of this team as they prepare for a playoff run.
We're used to seeing this team have their backs against the wall late in the season. They did it last year. How Buffalo, and their young players in particular, respond to the adversity of these hard tests will tell us a lot about their upside in the postseason.
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McDermott wants this solved.
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