Bills suffer big loss heading into the weekend of AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs
The Buffalo Bills are about to go against the two-time defending Super Bowl Champions, the most prolific playoff touchdown duo in NFL history in Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, for the right to go to the Super Bowl, and they're going to be counting on a rookie to start at safety. No pressure, rook.Bills head […]
The Buffalo Bills are about to go against the two-time defending Super Bowl Champions, the most prolific playoff touchdown duo in NFL history in Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, for the right to go to the Super Bowl, and they're going to be counting on a rookie to start at safety. No pressure, rook.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott spoke with the media on Friday ahead of their travel to Kansas City for the AFC Championship Game, and in doing so, he ruled out starting safety Taylor Rapp.
There's no denying that it's not ideal to be without a starting safety, but in large part, the two teams are healthy and ready to go. The Chiefs are fully healthy, while the Bills are still waiting on the availability of cornerback Christian Benford and linebacker Dorian Williams.
Benford would be a massive blow. He's been the team's best cornerback this season, is sticky in coverage, and has been a magnet for breaking up passes this season. Williams played a crucial role last week with the Bills rolling out more 4-3 defensive sets, with his speed and athleticism serving him well in helping the Bills stop the run.
With Rapp out, it's going to be rookie safety Cole Bishop getting the start. There's certainly Bills fans out there that are nervous about it, and rightly so. It's a tough matchup. But Bishop was a second-round pick for a reason. His athleticism and instincts are great, and putting him in positions to utilize those traits will serve the defense well.
With or without Rapp, one player shouldn't be the determining factor in the team's success. While it might be an area of the defense that the Chiefs try to exploit, the game still figures to be a highly-contested matchup between two elite teams. Plenty of eyes will be on Bishop and his ability to rise to the occasion.
Follow along all year for more Buffalo Bills coverage on A to Z Sports. You can find me on Bluesky @jonhelmkamp.bsky.social, and make sure to follow our main page @AtoZSports.bsky.social for all the latest news.
