The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills are gearing up for a high-stakes matchup this Sunday, one that could very well preview the AFC Championship game. This meeting isn’t just about records—it’s the continuation of what has become one of the most electrifying rivalries in recent NFL history. With both teams boasting remarkable win records, the Chiefs at 9-0 and the Bills at 8-2, this game marks only the fifth time since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger that two teams with eight or more wins will meet this early in the season.
The roots of this rivalry trace back to the 2017 NFL Draft, a decision that would ultimately shape both franchises. That year, the Bills traded their 10th overall pick to Kansas City, allowing the Chiefs to draft quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In return, the Bills received a first-round pick for 2018, which they used to select their own franchise quarterback, Josh Allen. Since then, both Mahomes and Allen have risen as two of the league’s top quarterbacks, and each meeting between their teams feels bigger and more significant than the last.
Since the first head-to-head battle between Mahomes and Allen in 2020, the Chiefs have taken a slight edge with a 4-3 record, including the playoffs. The Bills, however, have been relentless in the regular season, claiming victory in their last three meetings, while the Chiefs have secured all three playoff encounters. Each game has only fueled the intensity, making this matchup in Buffalo a must-watch for NFL fans.
For the Bills, hosting this game is a significant moment, as it marks their first regular-season home game against Kansas City since 2020. However, home-field advantage hasn’t always worked in Buffalo’s favor in this rivalry; they hold a 0-2 record against the Chiefs at home but are 3-2 when playing in Kansas City. This trend keeps the stakes high and the outcome unpredictable.
According to early betting lines, the Chiefs enter this game as 2.5-point underdogs. But if history tells us anything, it’s that Mahomes thrives as the underdog. The Chiefs’ star quarterback has an impressive 12-1-1 record against the spread when his team isn’t favored. Still, recent history leans slightly toward home teams in matchups like this—over the last four games where two teams with eight or more wins met by Week 11, the home team came out on top.
To make the game even more of a marquee event, the NFL has adjusted its Week 11 schedule so that this Bills-Chiefs showdown will be the only game aired on CBS in the late Sunday window, with a kickoff set for 4:25 PM at Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium. This scheduling move underscores just how important the league—and fans—view this rivalry.
As we inch closer to Sunday, the excitement surrounding this game grows. It’s more than just two teams battling for another win; it’s two elite quarterbacks, two fiercely competitive teams, and a showdown that could set the tone for the postseason. NFL fans won’t want to miss what could easily be the game of the year.