The Buffalo Bills relished the chance to play “nobody believes in us” card last week against the Baltimore Ravens, entering the game as a playoff home underdog for the first time in franchise history and against a team with the new MVP frontrunner in Lamar Jackson.
Now, it’s the Kansas City Chiefs‘ turn to play that card.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid told reporters this week that he presumed the Bills would be favored in this week’s AFC championship game, which will take place in Kansas City as the Chiefs locked up the No. 1 seed with a 15-2 record. Reid’s comment has drawn some pushback, with many pointing out that his assessment of the game does not align with national expectations.
Chiefs Coach Plays Underdog Role
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Reid said he expected that the Bills would be favored to win the game and move on to the Super Bowl for the first time in 30 years.
“The fact that we’re at home is a real positive,” Reid said. “We’ve got to play well. I presume the Bills will probably be favored, but that’s all right. We do our thing as we go into this. We don’t worry about all that noise.”
Reid had the odds backward, with the Chiefs entering the game as two-point favorites over the Bills.
The Chiefs coach drew some pushback for his comment, with some questioning why Reid would assume his team would be an underdog at home after finishing with a league-best 15-2 record. Eva Geitham of CBS 42 said it was “surprising” to see Reid make that statement.
“The Bills certainly pose a true threat to the Chiefs and could win the game on the road, but it’s almost amusing for Reid to presume his team, the two-time reigning Super Bowl champions, would not be favored,” Geitham wrote.
The Bills were the only team to beat the Chiefs before the season finale, when they rested quarterback Patrick Mahomes and several other starters and lost to the Denver Broncos 38-0.
Chiefs Get Bad News
Reid had some bad news to deliver later in the week, telling reporters on Wednesday that wide receiver Mecole Hardman would not be able to return from injured reserve and play again this season. The Chiefs coach had a note of optimism earlier in the week about the receiver, who caught the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl last season.
“Yeah, we’ll see how that goes here,” Reid said, via SI.com. “I haven’t made any decisions on that yet. He’s worked hard to try to get himself back and going, but we’ll see how all of that works out.”
The Bills have their own injury problems this week, with cornerback Christian Benford being placed in concussion protocol after last week’s win over the Ravens. Benford was hurt as the Bills recovered an onside kick late in the fourth quarter of the 27-25 victory. Linebacker Matt Milano is also suffering from some hamstring sorness.
The Bills had a glimmer of good news on Wednesday, when Benford and Milano were both able to practice on a limited basis.
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