With the AFC Championship looming at the end of the week, what’s the biggest threat the Bills will have in this upcoming matchup?
Hello again everyone and welcome to another week of the ArrowChop! This is the column where we look at the positives/negatives of a certain Chiefs/NFL issue and look at both sides of the aisle. Then you, the readers, will come to your conclusions after I lay out the case. So sit back, relax, and enjoy as we breakdown this week’s hot topic.
These mad-lads did it; the Chiefs are going to their third straight AFC Championship game, and it is being played right at home in Arrowhead Stadium. Even with Mahomes out, Henne and the Chiefs’ defense proved to be clutch, as they closed out the game with key tackles from the defense and a key 4th-and-inches conversion from Henne to Hill. They’ll be taking on the Buffalo Bills, who defeated the Ravens 17-3 in a defensive showdown. That game was closed out thanks to the 101-yard pick-six by Taron Johnson.
With the game set for Sunday, fans from all over are beginning to breakdown key components of the game; moreover, their biggest threats on both sides of the field. The Bills have a lot of components working for them, yet there’s one lethality on that team that sticks out like a sore thumb; it’s none other than the Josh Allen–Stefon Diggs duo.
While others speculate otherwise, this duo is one of the main talking points on this matchup. Is the Allen-Diggs duo the biggest threat the Bills have up their sleeve, or is there something else lurking among the roster? Let’s break down both sides of the aisle to find out:
The Allen-Diggs duo is the biggest threat
These two combine like peas in a pod, and it has shown in their stats. Let’s first start with Diggs. Diggs had by far the best season out of all wide receivers as with just 15 starts, he leads the league in receptions (127), leads the league in receiving yards (1535), averaged 12.1 yards per reception, and had 8 touchdowns. He also has a 115.4 passer rating when the ball is thrown his way.
Also, he has insane route running capabilities, he can catch in traffic like no other, he’s a red-zone threat, and so on. In comparison to other receivers, he’s among the top of the brass in air yards per game, catch rate, and he’s among the lowest in drop rate at 3%. The only area he lacks in is yards after the catch (YAC), where he only averages 3.8 YAC per catch, which is very low among other wide receivers in the league. However, he will be a challenge for anyone who challenges him, especially for the Chiefs’ corners that’ll be covering him on Sunday.
This coincides with Allen’s stats. Diggs has attributed to 33.8% of his passing yards, 21.6% of his touchdowns, and 32.07% of his completions. If this alone doesn’t make up for a lethal duo, then I apparently don’t know what does.
Looking at the playoffs themselves, these two have been on target. In their Wild Card game against the Colts, Allen threw it to Diggs nine times which resulted in six catches for 128 yards and one touchdown. They proved this connection was brutal yet again versus the Ravens, who have one of the better pass defense in the league (6th in pass yards allowed and 2nd in opponent yards per completion). Diggs had eight catches for 106 yards, resulting in the offense’s only touchdown of the game.
These two can make any secondary miserable as they are one of the better QB-WR duos in the league; however, some don’t believe their the biggest threat.
The Allen-Diggs duo isn’t the largest threat
Fans believe that the Chiefs can shut down this duo, and it was entirely true in Week 6. The Chiefs secondary was able to hold Diggs to just 46 yards (2nd-lowest of the year), an average of 7.67 yards per reception (2nd-lowest), six catches, (T-2nd lowest), and only one touchdown that was four yards.
They also shut down Allen as well. He threw for 122 yards (season-low), had a 51.85% completion percentage (season-low), and they forced him to throw an interception. Even with these stats, the Chiefs also have L’Jarius Sneed back, who wasn’t available in their Week 6 win. Sneed has one of the most impressive rookies this year. He allows a 59.6% completion percentage, a 54,2 passer rating when the ball is thrown his way, and he only allowed one touchdown this whole year (against the Saints).
Others argue that this duo isn’t the biggest threat; they look towards the offensive line, and for good reason. The Bills’ o-line was ranked 10th in the league according to PFF. Also, in their last appearance against the Chiefs, the o-line allowed zero sacks on the day, and they held the Chiefs’ defense to just five QB hits. Chris Jones was held to zero QB hits and two tackles, and Frank Clark was held to one tackle, two QB hits, and a pass deflection. They were able to effectively shut down the two main pass rushers on the Chiefs’ roster, and they have a chance to do it yet again.
What do you think is the biggest threat that the Bills hold? Leave a comment down below to join the discussion! Thanks for reading, and have a fantastic day.
