Payments and Chiefs have modified a lot since 2021 playoff epic – ESPN

Stephen A. Smith makes his case for Josh Allen and the Payments to high Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs within the AFC divisional spherical. (2:39)
The rivalry between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs has turn out to be a full-blown saga, with one other chapter due in Sunday’s AFC divisional spherical matchup at Highmark Stadium (6:30 p.m. ET, CBS). The groups will probably be enjoying for the seventh time this decade — the sequence is cut up 3-3 over that point — however it’s the 2021 playoff matchup that has overshadowed all of them.
It was Jan. 23, 2022 when Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to a 42-36 overtime win over Josh Allen and the Payments at Arrowhead Stadium, main an unbelievable game-tying drive that began with 13 seconds remaining within the fourth quarter. Followers in Kansas Metropolis and Buffalo know the remainder, however a lot has modified within the almost two years for the reason that occasion.
We took a have a look at the similarities and variations in a sequence that — new faces and all — ought to retain its inherent drama:

The Chiefs turned over a lot of their protection within the two seasons since final assembly the Payments within the playoffs. Solely 4 defensive starters from that recreation stay. As an alternative of a Chiefs protection stacked with veterans, the Payments will see a bunch that’s the youngest within the NFL. 5 defensive regulars for the Chiefs are of their second NFL seasons. On offense, the Chiefs not have Tyreek Hill and actually all of their huge receivers besides Mecole Hardman are new to the staff since then. The foremost change on the teaching employees is that Eric Bieniemy, then the offensive coordinator, has moved on. He is been changed by Matt Nagy. — Adam Teicher
The Payments are on the staff’s second offensive coordinator change since that recreation, with Ken Dorsey employed to switch Brian Daboll within the 2022 offseason, after which Joe Brady employed as interim offensive coordinator when Dorsey was fired after Week 10 of this season. The change in playcaller to Brady has led to a rise within the staff’s designed rush share (up from 35.3% in 2021 to 40.8% in 2023), together with an enormous dashing efficiency vs. the Cowboys.
On the defensive facet, coach Sean McDermott has taken over playcalling this season after Leslie Frazier left the staff after the 2022 season.
A lot of the key gamers are the identical for the Payments, however there are new faces on the defensive facet of the ball, together with move rushers Leonard Floyd and Von Miller and new linebackers with Tremaine Edmunds in Chicago and Matt Milano (proper leg) out for the 12 months. The Payments additionally added new offensive talent gamers via the draft in James Cook, Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid. — Alaina Getzenberg
Pat McAfee compares Patrick Mahomes’ rivalry with Josh Allen to Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. The final time the Payments performed towards the Chiefs with out both one within the lineup? 2013. The Chiefs even have the identical group of inside offensive linemen in heart Creed Humphrey and guards Joe Thuney and Trey Smith. All are superior move blockers. Solely the 4 starters stay on protection, however every is a key participant: deal with Chris Jones, linebackers Nick Bolton and Willie Gay and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is again, as is far of the defensive teaching employees. Nagy changed Bieniemy, however the offensive system and playcalling are nonetheless guided by Andy Reid. — Teicher
Allen and Stefon Diggs, to start out. Whereas the huge receiver has not had his regular manufacturing this season — his final 100-yard receiving recreation was in Week 6 — he stays somebody to look at on this matchup, particularly as huge receiver Gabe Davis continues to cope with a knee harm. Allen continues to be a risk as each a passer and a rusher behind an offensive line that has solely seen change on the guard positions.
The opposite main familiarity for Mahomes is with safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde, who’ve been mainstays of the Payments’ protection since 2017, and nickel nook Taron Johnson, who’s progressing via concussion protocol. — Getzenberg
Mahomes had in some ways the worst statistical season of his career. His QBR was a career-low 63, he had his fewest yards per recreation (261) and lowest yards per try (7.0). He threw extra interceptions (14). He was affected by usually sloppy play at huge receiver and on the offensive line, the place penalties had been an enormous downside. He was annoyed and even despondent at occasions when he felt let down by teammates after dropped passes or blocking points. He went on an uncharacteristic rant after the Week 14 loss to the Payments when a late penalty price the Chiefs a go-ahead landing. His recreation to an extent advanced with the Chiefs enjoying higher defensively than they’ve since he grew to become the starter. He grew to become extra content material with throwing shorter passes. — Teicher
Earlier within the season, this area would have been devoted to Allen having fewer dashing makes an attempt, however that quantity adjusted when Brady took over the playcalling. Whereas Allen basically is sliding extra as a runner and the variety of hits he has taken general are a bit fewer — together with a career-low with 24 sacks — he additionally is aware of tips on how to shield his physique a bit higher. He is all the time going to make the dangerous performs that both work or finish in a turnover, however the Payments’ effectiveness on the bottom has adjusted Allen’s recreation. That features Allen connecting with operating backs as receivers extra usually, which has elevated his yards after catch per completion to five.1, highest since 2018. — Getzenberg
• Guide to the divisional round &#187
• Mapping upset game plans (ESPN+) &#187
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• Barnwell: Big questions (ESPN+) »
• Full playoff bracket and schedule »
The Chiefs aren’t near the high-scoring machine they had been earlier in Mahomes’ profession. They completed fifteenth within the common season in scoring. Offensive sloppiness was a season-long downside. The Chiefs dropped extra passes than another staff and just one staff had extra offensive penalties. The Chiefs as soon as routinely rallied for victories, however not a lot this season. They misplaced 5 video games by one rating and in 4, the Chiefs had the ball late with an opportunity to win or ship it into time beyond regulation. They failed to attain every time. However the Chiefs are stronger defensively. They had been second within the league in factors allowed and sacks. They’d two gamers (George Karlaftis and Jones) with greater than 10 sacks for the primary time since 2018. — Teicher
This is not the identical Payments protection that gave up a subject aim drive with 13 seconds left two years in the past. Most of the faces are totally different, however past that, it is a unit that has seen an uptick in general yardage allowed over the course of seasons since 2021 (from 289.2 yards per recreation to 308.1 this season) whereas creating extra sacks (6.7% of sacks per dropback in 2021 to eight%). The Payments’ protection is blitzing much less since 2021 (24.7% to 21.1%).
One space tougher to quantify is the Payments’ capacity to regulate to the lack of injured gamers. Dropping cornerback Tre’Davious White for the top of 2021 was vital, however this 12 months as accidents have continued to pile up, the Payments have been in a position to alter and proven off depth. — Getzenberg

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