The best rivalry in the NFL will be renewed on Sunday as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Buffalo Bills.

Buffalo is 4-1 against the Chiefs in regular season games since 2020, but Kansas City is 4-0 over the Bills in the postseason during that span. It hasn’t typically been a huge deal for the Chiefs to lose to Buffalo in the regular season as they are usually one of, if not the top seed in the AFC.

However, after getting off to a rough start in 2025 and already having three losses, this year’s matchup against the Bills carries more importance. Let’s examine five things to watch for as the Chiefs look to secure their sixth win of the season.

Chiefs’ offensive line controlling the line of scrimmage

This is obviously a goal in every game, but the Chiefs have a golden opportunity to do so in this matchup. The Bills are devasted by injuries at defensive tackle, as they will be without their top three in Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, and T.J. Sanders.

This should allow K.C.’s offensive line to keep quarterback Patrick Mahomes upright and pave the way with open holes in the run game. Buffalo is allowing the second-most rushing yards in the NFL at 150.3 per game. If the Chiefs can run the ball well, they can control the clock and the flow of the game, and it will also open up deeps shots for Mahomes to take.

Chiefs’ defensive line staying disciplined in rush lanes

Bills running back James Cook is having a fantastic season, ranking second in the league in rushing yards with 753 and averaging a whopping six yards per carry. When you also factor in QB Josh Allen’s rushing ability, the Chiefs’ defensive line will have its hands full on Sunday.

Getting a good push up the middle is a good place to start. That can throw off Allen before he’s able to scramble, and force Cook to have to bounce outside. However, Cook is more than capable of beating defenses around the edge, meaning Chiefs’ outside defenders must stay disciplined in their rush lanes. If they over-pursue, Cook and Allen will make them pay.

Increased workload for RB Brashard Smith

The Chiefs have been steadily increasing Smith’s snaps over the past month, and now with Isiah Pacheco likely to miss this game, this could be Smith’s time to shine. Kareem Hunt will likely begin the game as the lead back, but if Smith can rip off some impressive runs, K.C. could commit more to him as the game goes on.

Smith is the speediest RB on the roster, and has already flashed his impressive receiving skills throughout the season. The Chiefs haven’t had many splash plays in their running game, which may be the missing piece to an otherwise explosive offense. Sunday’s game could be an audition for how Smith will be utilized for the rest of the season.

Chiefs’ DBs taking chances for interceptions

In a game that will likely be very close, turnovers can tip the scales. K.C.’s defense ranks in the middle of the pack of the league in interceptions with six on the year. It may be worth being a bit more aggressive this week against the Bills, as Allen hasn’t quite been his dominant self as of late.

Before last week’s matchup against the Carolina Panthers in which he only had to throw 19 passes because the rushing attack was performing so well, Allen threw four interceptions during a three-game span. He has been held under 250 passing yards in all but two games this season, as he has struggled to be on the same page with his struggle wide receiver corps.

Chiefs WRs winning one-on-one matchups

K.C.’s passing game has been on fire over the past month, especially with top WR Rashee Rice back in the fold. However, it will face perhaps its toughest challenge yet against a Buffalo secondary that ranks second in the NFL in pass defense, allowing just 161.9 yards per game.

Bills defensive backs will challenge Chiefs WRs at the line of scrimmage, making it a game of winning one-on-one matchups. Fortunately, K.C. is loaded with speed among its pass catchers, which it will utilize to combat Buffalo’s attempt to be physical.

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