Buffalo Plus Podcast: Bills vs. Chiefs AFC Championship Preview

Date: January 24, 2025
Hosts: Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, Dan Fetes

Episode Overview

The Buffalo Plus team—Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, and Dan Fetes—deliver an in-depth, lively preview of the Buffalo Bills' upcoming AFC Championship clash against the Kansas City Chiefs. This episode is anchored in the enormous pressure and legacy implications for both teams, particularly quarterback Josh Allen, as Buffalo seeks to reach the Super Bowl and overcome the “Chiefs curse.” The hosts break down team momentum, Josh Allen’s maturation, coaching strategies, injury updates, and why this matchup feels like the ultimate test for Buffalo’s franchise narrative.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Stakes & Significance of the AFC Championship

• Game is Franchise-Changing

  • Massive implications for both franchises and the NFL at large.
  • "Somebody is going to New Orleans. That is the thing. This game ends and it is a totally different feeling for franchises... It’s changing for everything that they do." – Mike (02:37)

• Pressure on Both Teams

  • Rare situation where both the Bills and Chiefs have enormous pressure to win due to legacies and the need to "unseat" Mahomes.
  • "It’s incredible because I can see both sides saying they have so much pressure. And very rarely do you think both sides have pressure." – Dan (03:11)

2. Josh Allen's Growth & Maturity

• Josh Allen: From Wild to Wise

  • Recaps a pivotal Ravens game play where Allen considered—but resisted—lateraling, demonstrating his maturity.
  • "Would young Josh Allen have done that? He would have done it, yes. It may have crossed the mind, but yeah, I didn’t do it." – Josh Allen (05:26)
  • Hosts admire Allen’s blend of competitive fire and measured decision-making.

• Allen’s Legacy

  • The panel weighs Allen’s career and how QBs are ultimately “judged on certain things… Getting to a Super Bowl is big.”
  • “Mahomes is there and he ain’t going anywhere. At some point, you got to beat him.” – Mike (16:22)

3. Locker Room Vibes & Team Mentality

• Looser, Freer Bills

  • Noted shift in energy; team is lighter, less burdened by expectation, carries 'quiet confidence.’
  • “This team is just looser than I felt like it has been in years. And I mean that in a positive way.” – Jenna (11:14)

• Redemption Mentality

  • Only twelve players remain from Bills’ 2020 loss to KC. Team framed as older, tougher, more prepared for this moment.
  • “They just have to be tougher longer. They hung in there. They got a break. They got all those things. They did it for 60 minutes in that game.” – Mike (10:16)

4. Narrative Weight & NFL Storylines

• “Chiefs Roadblock” and National Perception
  • For the Bills' national respect, there's a sense their journey to the Super Bowl “has to go through KC.”
  • “If the Bills were to go on and win the Super Bowl and they didn’t have to play Mahomes… there’d be a tiny bit that was like, well, they didn’t have to play Mahomes. This, to me, is fitting.” – Dan (12:38)

5. Coaching & Tactical Breakdown

• Sean McDermott & Bobby Babich’s Roles

  • McDermott is more CEO now, not making every play call, but critical in defensive gameplan vs. Mahomes/Kelce.
  • “Sean is a CEO head coach. He is not calling plays... but he's in charge of a game plan here, especially this week, of trying to contain Mahomes.” – Dan (21:01)

• The Dilemma of Blitzing Mahomes

  • Mahomes welcomes blitzes, making standard pressure packages less effective.
  • “Mahomes has said that he loves to get blitzed... McDermott's like, what blitz hasn’t he seen that we can threaten?” – Dan (22:04)
  • “Both Allen and Mahomes… are lethal when they’re on the move.” – Mike (23:26)

• Bills Defense: Flexibility and Turnovers

  • Babich praised for mixing responsibilities, spying QBs, limiting elite running games.
  • “They forced three turnovers in the game...I give Bobby credit for that.” – Mike (33:45)

6. Matchups: Injuries, Chiefs Offense & Bills O-Line

• Injury Updates:

  • Taylor Rapp likely out (“he is as tough as they get... But they haven’t seen him.” – Mike [24:50]), Benford in concussion protocol but limited practice.
  • Matt Milano, Bernard dealing with hamstring soreness but expected to play.

• Chiefs Offense: The Kelsey/Mahomes Connection

  • Kelsey's unpredictability and on-field chemistry with Mahomes is a nightmare for defenses.
  • “He doesn’t follow a route. … Every route for Kelsey is different.” – Cam Lewis, relayed by Dan (26:56)
  • "Kelsey and Mahomes...such a same page. There’s incredible trust between the two of them." – Mike (27:51)

• Chiefs’ Support Weapons

  • Hosts debate whether Hollywood Brown/Xavier Worthy will be keys or afterthoughts.
  • “But I am a little nervous about Xavier Worthy and what he can do.” – Jenna (32:23)

• Bills O-Line: An Underrated Edge

  • For first time, hosts feel Buffalo has advantage at the line of scrimmage.
  • “The Bills, for the first time in this rivalry, are better at both lines of scrimmage.” – Dan (47:39)

7. Offensive Identity: Run-First Buffalo

• A “Run First" Bills?
  • Reluctantly acknowledged, but the hosts agree: “They are a run-first offense with a superstar quarterback who can make the plays.” – Mike (37:45)
  • O-line and run game have provided needed physicality and stability, lightening Allen’s load.

8. Critical Players, Game Changers & X-Factors

• Predictions for Players to Step Up
  • Terrel Bernard – Called a difference-maker; hosts cite his toughness, leadership, and knack for splash plays (41:31).
  • Keon Coleman – Dan expects him to make a big play in critical moments, especially on broken plays (42:18).
  • Matt Collins & Tyler Bass – Jenna feels Collins could make clutch catches, Bass could deliver “the play” (43:48).

9. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Would young Josh Allen have done that? He would have done it, yes… but yeah, I didn’t do it.” – Josh Allen on not lateraling (05:30)
• “Mahomes is there and he ain’t going anywhere. At some point, you got to beat him.” – Mike (16:22)
• “You just have to be tougher longer.” – Mike (10:16)
• “If the Bills win, the celebration is going to come with a stage and a trophy…. The Lamar Hunt trophy. That’s the owners of the Chiefs.” – Mike (47:14)
• "Don’t throw to whoever McDuffie’s covering. That’s a bad idea. He is a stud, man." – Mike (48:53)

10. Predictions and Final Thoughts

• Picks:
  • Jenna: Bills win, 32-30 (“It’s already written.” – referencing Josh/Von Miller’s mindset, 45:01)
  • Mike: Bills win, 27-23 (predicts celebration at Arrowhead with Lamar Hunt Trophy, 47:14)
  • Dan: Bills win, 25-23 (believes OL/DL edge will be decisive, 48:43)

Notable Time Stamps for Key Segments

• Allen’s Growth/Lateral Discussion: 04:31 – 06:38
• Pressure & Legacies: 02:36 – 03:56 & 16:01 – 17:30
• Chiefs Curse & Bills Narrative: 12:38 – 13:13
• Locker Room Vibe: 11:14 – 13:25
• Injury Talk: 24:17 – 25:46
• Travis Kelce/Mahomes Connection: 26:52 – 28:34
• Coaching Chess Match: 21:01 – 24:17
• Bills OL Identity & Tactics: 37:14 – 39:37
• Key Players to Watch: 40:34 – 43:24
• Final Score Predictions: 44:14 – 48:43
• Closing Banter & Credit to Me: 49:39 – 55:10

Fun & Memorable Banter

• Light-hearted jabs about interrupting each other (often at Jenna’s expense), and the running “credit to me” bit for successful hot takes.
• Mike’s “Buffalo history lesson” (54:48): Ties past AFC Championship connections with the Chiefs into the present.

Takeaways for Listeners

• This matchup is more than a game—it could redefine the Bills’ place in NFL history and Josh Allen’s personal legacy.
• Both fanbases, and the whole NFL world, recognize the enormous weight of beating the Chiefs in Arrowhead.
• The Bills' improved physicality, balanced offense, and looser mentality set up the most anticipated AFC Championship matchup of the Allen era.
• For all the X’s and O’s, Buffalo's ability to be “tougher longer”—both physically and mentally—will be put to the ultimate test.

If you want exclusive Bills insight with a pinch of kitchen-table banter, don’t miss this episode. The Buffalo Plus crew bring both the detail and the heart of Western New York to the AFC’s greatest modern rivalry.