Two Bills Drive

‘”There are some good wings right around the corner here at a place called the Big Tree,” Bledsoe said. “Most of the country, you go and order wings and you have to order ’em extra hot to get ’em to where they burn a little bit. Around here, all you have to do is order ’em regular and they are plenty hot.”‘

‘Aside from a 49-yard screen pass to Holmes against Oakland, Green has not hit a pass play longer than 27 yards in the last two games.’

‘The Chiefs are wondering about Morton, too. They invested a $5.5 million signing bonus for, through nine games, 16 catches and one touchdown?’

‘The Chiefs need a lightning rod, a personality that riles up the team and the fan base. Yes, the team got out of control a few years ago when Marty Schottenheimer recruited 25 percent of the team from a halfway house. Dick Vermeil has done a nice job cleaning up Marty’s mess and reshaping the image of the Chiefs. But this team is too nice and too humble.’

‘Chiefs’ opponents have a combined 46-35 record — the last four opponents alone are a combined 30-12.’

‘”We’ve got to get to him and not allow him the time to pick you apart the way he can do,” said Hicks, Kansas City’s sack leader with five of the team’s 15. “We have to get after him and take some of the pressure off our secondary.”‘

‘”People hold him — tackle him! — so much. I’ve seen him spun around 360 degrees to get into the route and it’s not called.”‘

‘But when the Bills’ offense stalls, it turns to a Sedgwick native, Larry and Jeannie Moorman’s son, to punt. And like Bledsoe, Moulds, Price and Henry, Brian Moorman is having a Pro Bowl-caliber season.’

The Bills’ offense, particulary its second-ranked passing attack, will be a huge test for the Chiefs, who are still last in the NFL in total defense. After holding Oakland to 10 points and San Francisco to 17, the Chiefs’ success this week will be based more on execution rather than doing anything fancy.

Drew Bledsoe is surrounded by quality personnel, with Eric Moulds, Peerless Price, Josh Reed and Larry Centers. Facing a multitude of talent is more of a problem for the Chiefs than the Bills’ scheme. The Bills have more than one or two players to throw to. The Chiefs will have to play a balanced style of defense. If they get too focused on one or two players, the Bills have three others who can burn them.

In the NFL, once one team finds a strategy that works against a tough opponent, other teams will try it, too. So if the Bills do happen to face a zone defense designed to limit Bledsoe to short passes, they'll have to rely on quick passes and steady running. Against the Patriots, Bledsoe threw for 300-plus yards, but the Bills' ground game was virtually grounded. Thus, Buffalo managed only seven points.

This is an interesting matchup as both teams are hungry for the win. The Chiefs are in danger of falling out of the playoff picture despite being better than their record indicates. The Bills should be real focused for a solid performance as they have had two weeks to sit and stew over what happened against New England. The Bills have never played real well in Arrowhead despite a win there two years ago. Despite the struggles in Kansas City, this team is a good road team and very hungry for a win. The two porous defenses will allow a lot of points:
Bills 34, Chiefs 31

‘The 29-year-old back leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage, averaging 150 a game. He’s on pace to finish with 2,405 yards, which would be the second-best season ever, behind only Marshall Faulk’s total of 2,429 in 1999.’

‘Running back Priest Holmes leads the NFL in yards gained from scrimmage (1,353, including 908 rushing), Tony Gonzalez is the best tight end in the game, quarterback Trent Green is an efficient passer, Johnnie Morton and Eddie Kennison are productive receivers, and Will Shields, John Tait and Willie Roaf lead one of the finest offensive lines in the league.’

‘New England used a zone to cut off downfield opportunities to Moulds and Price and forced Bledsoe to take the short stuff. The Bills ended up with 331 yards of offense but scored only seven points because they couldn’t hit any big passing plays, then bogged down in the red zone.’

‘By beating the Bills, the Chiefs would have a victory, and therefore the tie-breaking edge, against three of the four AFC East teams. The East and West divisions could easily supply both of the AFC’s wild-card teams.’