Bills vs. Chiefs AFC Championship preview: What you need to know with Super Bowl on the line

Bills vs Chiefs: Can Buffalo’s defense shut down Mahomes?

Against the Ravens, the Bills addressed the one nagging question surrounding their team in 2020-2021: Could they stop the run?

The answer lies somewhere in between the emphatic “yes” that many outlets are reporting, and the “no” that prognosticators assumed coming in.

The Bills did contain Lamar Jackson, holding him to 34 yards on the ground and sacking him three times. They even did a good job with J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, holding them to identical stat lines of 10 carries for 42 yards.

Still, they were gashed in the early going, as Dobbins and Edwards set up two field goal opportunities for the normally sure-footed Justin Tucker. If those two kicks caught a little less of Bills Stadium’s uprights, the complexion of the early game would have been vastly different.

With that being said, Buffalo’s pursuit linebackers played one heck of a game. Matt Milano covered sideline to sideline, and Tremaine Edmunds was back to his normal self.

The Bills’ defensive gameplan hinges on Mahomes’ status, something that the Chiefs will likely play close to the vest. If he plays, prepare for anything. If he doesn’t, prepare for a run-centric offence that will look for opportunities in the play-action game.