When it comes to AFC title-game experience, the Chiefs have a big edge over the Bills
Is it an advantage to have been there, done that?
The Chiefs enter Sunday’s AFC Championship Game with a roster of players who have experienced the pressure of the AFC Championship Game. This is Kansas City’s third straight year in the title game, having hosted three straight now at Arrowhead Stadium.
The few Buffalo Bills players who have gotten this far before did so with other teams. Buffalo is here for the first time since beating Joe Montana and the Chiefs in 1994 to advance to the franchise’s fourth straight Super Bowl.
One of those Bills who has played in a conference title game is wide receiver Stefon Diggs. He was a member of the Minnesota Vikings team that lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC title game after the 2017 season.
“For me, I know it’s a big game,” Diggs said. “It comes down to being detailed in your work. ... You’ve got to lay it out there.”
Another member of the Bills who’s played in an AFC title game is former Chiefs and Mizzou center Mitch Morse, who reached this level with the Chiefs in 2018.
Eight Chiefs expected to start Sunday will be starters in their third straight AFC title game: Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Eric FIsher, Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones, Derrick Nnadi, Anthony Hitchens and Dan Sorensen.
Here are some players besides Mahomes and the Bills’ Josh Allen who figure to make a difference Sunday.
Chiefs wide receiver Byron Pringle
Pringle gets some notice here for a couple of reasons. He started last week’s game against the Browns, his first career playoff start, and he came up big against the Bills in Buffalo. Pringle’s 37-yard reception on a third-and-12 kept alive a drive that set up the Chiefs’ game-clinching field goal. Pringle made his first career playoff start last week and finished with two receptions. He’s also returned a kickoff for a touchdown this season.
Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed
The rookie made the most of his first playoff appearance against the Browns. He had a sack, tackle for loss and six total tackles. Cornerbacks Bashaud Breeland and Rashad Fenton have spent time on the injury list this past week, and it’s uncertain whether Sneed will return to outside corner, where he mostly played before breaking his clavicle, or slot corner. That’s where he’s mostly played since Week 11. Quarterbacks are averaging a 58.2 completion percentage against Sneed, and that’s why he made the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie team.
Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs
He’s a game-changer. Diggs was solid in Minnesota, but took his game, and the Bills, to the next level. His 127 receptions and 1,565 yards led the NFL. He has an admirer in Kansas City, too: fellow Pro Bowl receiver Tyreek Hill. “I love his RAC ability (run after catch),” Hill said. “When I think of (Diggs), I also think about being able to get in and out of breaks in his routes. He’s a great receiver He’s one of the top receivers in the game, and I really respect him.”
Bills linebacker Matt Milano
Milano is not the first player you think of on the Bills’ defense. Cornerback Tre’Davious was a second-team All-Pro selection and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is a Pro Bowler. But Milano is a workhorse linebacker who is solid in pass coverage. He missed time with injuries over the first half of the season, including the game against the Chiefs, but he finished with a team-best 11 tackles in the Bills’ Divisional Round playoff victory over the Colts, and Buffalo is 12-0 this season when Milano plays.