'Good luck' – Payments anticipating house playoff recreation vs. Chiefs – ESPN

Payments offensive lineman Dion Dawkins speaks about the way it might be tough for Patrick Mahomes coming into Buffalo. (1:04)
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — In what has developed right into a historic rivalry between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, a Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs workforce will play at Highmark Stadium within the postseason for the primary time.
The Chiefs did come to Orchard Park within the 2020 common season, however that recreation was performed with out followers within the stands due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since Mahomes and quarterback Josh Allen have began video games, the Chiefs and Payments have met six occasions, with 5 of these occurring in Kansas Metropolis.
The chance to lastly host Mahomes within the postseason is not misplaced on the Payments.
“[Mahomes has] solely been right here as soon as. So he is by no means been right here. Easy as that,” left deal with Dion Dawkins mentioned. “Pat has by no means been to the Payments stadium in full. … The atmosphere can be completely different, and to not say it is in our favor, however stadium is our favor. Stadium is us. That helps us. I do not care what no person says. That is probably the most dopest feeling I’ve ever had. We’re having two back-to-back playoff video games house. Come on now, like we get to depart and go eat wings. It is cool. So good luck.”
The Payments beat the Chiefs 20-17 at Arrowhead Stadium final month in a recreation that began their present six-game profitable streak. Kansas Metropolis has received each postseason conferences since 2020 — 2020 AFC Championship Recreation and 2021 divisional spherical — whereas Buffalo has received three of 4 regular-season matchups throughout that point.
Whereas the Payments’ 2022 season did finish with a house playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, traditionally they’ve seen vital success in house playoff video games with a 14-2 report since 1970, greatest within the NFL amongst groups with not less than 5 house video games throughout that point.
The Payments are making ready for this recreation within the midst of a second lake impact snowstorm hitting the Buffalo space in every week, however they’ve maintained a standard apply schedule on a brief week after the wild-card spherical recreation towards the Pittsburgh Steelers was pushed again. The workforce is already asking followers to assist shovel snow out the stadium Friday for a second straight week.
“It is good to have the followers behind you. I feel little nuances, like not having to make use of silent cadences, is all the time a plus,” mentioned heart Mitch Morse, a former Chiefs participant. “I feel particularly with a brief week like we had, it is very nice to have this home-field benefit. However we additionally know that within the playoffs, these groups which have made it this far are used to adversity and hostile conditions.”
This recreation will make Mahomes and Allen the fourth pair of quarterbacks to satisfy not less than thrice within the playoffs inside their first seven seasons. As of Thursday, the Chiefs are a 3-point underdog, in line with ESPN BET, the second time in Mahomes’ postseason profession that he has been an underdog, becoming a member of final yr’s Tremendous Bowl.
A win would mark Allen’s second AFC Championship Recreation look and Mahomes’ sixth.
“They have been on the prime of the mountain. They know what it takes to get there. We have but to try this,” Allen mentioned. “Once more, as a competitor, as a participant to be in a scenario like that is one thing you dream about. I do know guys on this workforce have been ready for this second for a very long time. To consider how far we have come even from seven, eight weeks in the past to the place we at the moment are to have a possibility to host a recreation towards — they’ve received two championships within the final couple years — you possibly can’t assist however be enthusiastic about that.”

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