Diante Lee

And there really weren't even that many of them because they did such a good job on first and second down, managing the game situation in the down and distance.

But defensively, you force some turnovers.

You get some inconsistent play from Mahomes.

I would say this might be his most uncharacteristic regular season game that we've seen in I don't know how long.

And especially over the last month, month and a half where it looked like, oh God, this team is back to 2019, 2020, 2021 levels of efficiency.

It was a shock to see them play that way

But I think that kind of speaks to what pressure can do, what pressure with four can do.

And we have just not seen Kansas City be pressured to that degree with only four rushers and a team that was able to put a cap over most of the explosive plays that they were shooting for.

That was my initial evaluation.

But if I'm being honest, the longer I sat with it,

I look at Buffalo's defense and I still see a team that is going to be asking its quarterback and its offensive line to operate at an A-plus level to go win a Super Bowl.

And to me, the margins are just way too slim if you're asking your offense to perform that way, knowing that the team that you have to beat on the other side in a playoff environment would be Patrick Mahomes and his Kansas City team.

that has played its best ball every year in January and February.

I just don't know if I trust them to be able to replicate that if these two teams were to match up again in the playoffs, even if the game was happening at Highmark Stadium.

Yeah, it was very similar to what you saw today.

They've moved the ball at will.

They're the eighth seed right now.

I had to.

I think if you're evaluating down-to-down quality, I actually think that that cluster of teams is a lot closer than what I ever would have said at any other point.

Closer to the Chiefs and the Bills, yes.