Top 5 storylines to follow for Bills vs. Chiefs | Week 9 

The Bills welcome a foe they know all too well to Highmark Stadium for Week 9 in the Kansas City Chiefs. Sunday's game marks Buffalo's first of four 4:25 p.m. kickoffs. The Bills faced the Chiefs for Week 11 last year and get them two weeks earlier in 2025.

Here are five storylines to follow for Week 9.

1. Where Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes rank

Two of the league's best quarterbacks are facing off on Sunday afternoon in Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. They both own at least one MVP title and hold records that quarterbacks dream of reaching.

Sunday marks the 10^th time the two will see each other in their careers, which includes playoffs. Allen owns a 4-1 record over Mahomes in the regular season, while the Chiefs have been undefeated against Allen in the playoffs.

In those nine games, Allen has 24 total touchdowns to just five interceptions and averages 255.6 passing yards per game. Mahomes has 22 total touchdowns to three interceptions and has averaged 273.9 passing yards per game in those matchups.

Both quarterbacks give their teams the best chance to win on any given Sunday, and their play will be a big factor in such a meaningful game. Here's how the two compare so far through the 2025 season.

Passing yards per game: Josh Allen – 222.9 (18^th), Patrick Mahomes – 262.4 (4^th)

Completion percentage: Allen – 68% (11^th), Mahomes – 67% (14^th)

Total touchdowns: Allen – 17 (tied for 4^th), Mahomes – 21 (1^st)

Passer rating: Allen – 103.6 (9^th), Mahomes – 103.1 (10^th)

2. Chiefs turning a corner

The Chiefs dropped two of their first three games to start the 2025 season. They struggled offensively out of the gate averaging only 20 points per game in their first three contests.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes didn't have two of his favorite playmakers to start the season in wide receivers Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice. Worthy missed most of Week 1 and Weeks 2-3 with a shoulder injury. Rice was suspended for the first six games of the season for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy due to his involvement in a multi-car crash in March 2024.

Through their first three games they ranked bottom 15 in multiple categories on offense – total yards per game (315.7, 17^th), yards per play (5.2, 19^th), rushing yards per game (108, 17^th), passing yards per attempt (6.4, 19^th) and red zone efficiency (50%, 19^th).

Now with Worthy and Rice in the mix together, two offensive weapons you have to account for, Kansas City looks like they're back to full strength. They've averaged 30.8 points per game over the last five games (4^th best).

"We have a ton of respect for them," McDermott said of KC. "They've had, like us, a lot of success and been able to sustain it. So, they're playing at a high level…We need to focus on how we can grow as a football team and move ourselves forward."

Since Week 4, they have the best total offense (average 415.8 yards per game), the best passing offense (average 278.2 passing yards per game), are averaging the fourth most rushing yards per game (137.6) and have the second-best red zone offense (76.9% red zone efficiency).

3. Defensive line building off big performance

The defensive line had a stellar performance against the Panthers in Week 8. They stalled drives and gave the ball back to the offense as they grabbed seven sacks and were involved in all three takeaways.

Defensive ends Greg Rousseau and Michael Hoecht each forced a fumble, defensive tackle Deone Walker recovered one and defensive end A.J. Epenesa grabbed an interception and brought it to Carolina's one-yard-line.

Hoecht provided a spark on defense in his first game back suspension as he also added a sack and a half and five pressures.

"It's huge," ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky said of Hoecht’s impact on One Bills Live. "And it's even greater now because of obviously the injury with Ed (Oliver)…I thought he was great. I've been a huge fan of his since his time in LA, he's an impactful rusher."

The pass rush will be important against an offense in the Chiefs who's getting into a rhythm that's tough to stop. Right now, the Bills have the second-highest defensive pressure rate at 9.7% according to TruMedia. They also have 22 sacks on the season, which ties for eighth most in the league. If Buffalo's front seven can affect what Mahomes is seeing and force him to make throws under duress, it'll help slow Kansas City's top five passing offense.

Orlovsky believes Buffalo's defensive line could be one of the biggest factors in Sunday's game against the Chiefs.

"The pass rush is going to be enormous because Patrick (Mahomes) looks as creative and elusive back there as he has looked in two or three seasons, and that's saying a lot," Orlovsky told One Bills Live. "So, it's going to be huge."

Against Carolina, seven different Bills players registered at least a half sack, that's the most in a game since 2021.

4. The best recipe to beat the Chiefs?

The Bills and Chiefs know each other like a division opponent. They've played each other nine times in the last five seasons, including playoffs.

Buffalo and Kansas City have been two of the best teams in the past five years, and their stats back that up. Since 2020, the Bills rank first averaging 29.1 points per game and the Chiefs ranks fourth averaging 26.3 points per game.

Both teams know if they want to come out of Week 9 with a victory, they've got to give it their all. Defensive coordinator Bobby Babich said when it comes to game planning, it starts with understanding what they do well.

"What's the strength and weaknesses of the offense? What's the strength and weaknesses of each individual player?" Babich said. "And (we) try to put our guys in the best position possible to have success. That's the best thing we can do. Not lose our guys too much in who the opponent is, understand what we do well and what we're doing well and try to focus in on that."

For Buffalo, the recipe to beating the Chiefs begins with the Bills defense grabbing takeaways and their offense staying on the field.

Buffalo has been great at controlling possession this season as they average the highest time of possession in the league at 33:14 per game. They also average the third most first downs per game at 23.1.

Defensively, they're allowing their opponents to stay on the field for an average of just 26:45 per game, the least amount of time in the NFL. Their three takeaways against Carolina were a season high, and they want to carry that energy and physicality into Chiefs week.

ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky also believes Buffalo's tight ends can play an important role on Sunday. Kansas City's defense is giving up an 82% completion percentage to tight ends, the fourth worst in the NFL.

"I think the tight ends are enormous in this game," Orlovksy said on One Bills Live. "I think the play action pass with the tight ends are enormous. This is a good defense in Kansas City, pass rush hasn't been great. You can get some chunk throws against this defense with those two tight ends and play action game."

Through six games, tight end Dalton Kincaid is averaging 14.8 yards per reception, which is the second best among tight ends.

5. A look at the AFC standings

It's only Week 9, but it's never too early to take a peek at the AFC standings. We know this game could have a lot of meaning when it comes to playoff seeding time in January.

The goal for the Bills every year is to have the playoffs run through Buffalo.

"Going into the season, that was the goal," Bills radio analyst Eric Wood said of the No. 1 seed on One Bills Live. "Get the conference championship game at home in Buffalo if you can get hot enough and make a run in the playoffs. This is going to be a major game just looking at how these two teams are likely going to finish this season. It's a big one, and the Chiefs are much better football."

Right now, ahead of Week 9, the Bills are fifth in the standings with a 5-2 record, and the Chiefs are seventh with a 5-3 record.

Here's how the top 7 spots in the AFC shakeout before November football begins.

1. Indianapolis Colts (7-1)
2. New England Patriots (6-2)
3. Denver Broncos (6-2)
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3)
5. Buffalo Bills (5-2)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (5-3)
7. Kansas City Chiefs (5-3)

The Chiefs have owned the No. 1 seed in the AFC four out of the last five years. In 2023, the Chiefs had the three seed. The Bills have owned the No. 2 seed for five straight years.