Bills and Chiefs have changed plenty since 2021 playoff epic

The rivalry between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs has become a saga of its own, with another chapter expected in Sunday's AFC Divisional Round game at Highmark Stadium (6:30 p.m. ET, CBS) . The teams will be playing for the seventh time this decade — the series is split 3-3 in that span — but it's the 2021 playoff game that has eclipsed them all.

It was January 23, 2022 when Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to a 42-36 overtime victory over Josh Allen and the Bills at Arrowhead Stadium, leading an improbable tie that began with 13 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Kansas City and Buffalo fans know the rest, but a lot has changed in the two years since the event.

We looked at the similarities and differences in a series that – new faces and all – should retain its inherent drama:

What has changed for the Chiefs since their epic playoff victory over the Bills on January 23, 2022?

The Chiefs have given up much of their defense in the two seasons since they last met the Bills in the playoffs. Only four defensive starters remain from this game. Instead of a Chiefs defense filled with veterans, the Bills will see a group that is the youngest in the NFL. Five Chiefs defensive regulars are in their second NFL seasons. On offense, the Chiefs no longer have Tyreek Hill and in fact all of their wide receivers except Mecole Hardman are new to the team since then. The major change within the technical staff is the departure of Eric Bieniemy, then offensive coordinator. He was replaced by Matt Nagy. –Adam Teicher

What has changed for the Bills since this game?

The Bills are in the team's second offensive coordinator change since that game, with Ken Dorsey hired to replace Brian Daboll during the 2022 offseason, then Joe Brady hired as interim offensive coordinator when Dorsey was fired after Week 10 of this season. The play-caller change in favor of Brady led to an increase in the team's designed run percentage (from 35.3% in 2021 to 40.8% in 2023), including a big rushing performance against the Cowboys.

On the defensive side, coach Sean McDermott took over this season after Leslie Frazier left the team following the 2022 season.

Most of the key players are the same for the Bills, but there are some new faces on the defensive side of the ball, including pass rushers Leonard Floyd and Von Miller and new linebackers with Tremaine Edmunds in Chicago and Matt Milano (right leg) out for the year. The Bills also added new offensive players in the draft, namely James Cook, Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid. –Alaina Getzenberg

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What seems the same for the Chiefs since the 2021 playoff victory?

Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. The last time the Bills played the Chiefs without either in the lineup? 2013. The Chiefs also have the same group of interior offensive linemen in center Creed Humphrey and guards Joe Thuney and Trey Smith. All are superior pass blockers. Only the four starters remain on defense, but each is a key player: tackle Chris Jones, linebackers Nick Bolton and Willie Gay and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed. Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is back, as is much of the defensive coaching staff. Nagy replaced Bieniemy, but the offensive system and playcalls are still guided by Andy Reid. — Teicher

What has happened to the Bills since that loss?

Allen and Stefon Diggs, for starters. Although the wide receiver hasn't had his normal production this season — his last 100-yard receiving game came in Week 6 — he's still someone to watch in this game, especially since the Wide receiver Gabe Davis continues to deal with a knee injury. Allen continues to be a threat as both a passer and a runner behind an offensive line that has only seen changes at the guard positions.

Mahomes' other major familiarity is with safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde, who have been mainstays of the Bills' defense since 2017, and nickel corner Taron Johnson, who is progressing through the concussion protocol. — Getzenberg

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How has Patrick Mahomes evolved since the 2021 playoffs? Is there anything different about his game/approach?

Mahomes had by many measures the worst statistical season of his career. His QBR was a career-low 63, he had his fewest yards per game (261) and his lowest yards per attempt (7.0). He threw more interceptions (14). He was affected by often sloppy play at wide receiver and on the offensive line, where penalties were a big problem. He was sometimes frustrated and even discouraged when he felt disappointed in his teammates after missed passes or blocking problems. He went on an unusual rant after the Week 14 loss to the Bills when a late penalty cost the Chiefs a touchdown. His game has evolved to some extent, with the Chiefs playing better defensively than they have since he became a starter. He became happier throwing shorter passes. — Teicher

How has Josh Allen's game evolved since the 2021 playoff loss?

Earlier in the season, this space would have been dedicated to Allen having fewer rushing attempts, but that number adjusted when Brady took over the game. While Allen typically slides more as a runner and the number of snaps sacks he's received is a little less – including a career-low with 24 sacks – he also knows how to protect his body a little better. He's still going to make risky plays that work or end in a turnover, but the Bills' efficiency on the field has adjusted Allen's game. This includes Allen connecting with running backs more often as receivers, which increased his yards after catch per completion to 5.1, the highest since 2018. — Getzenberg

Beyond the above, what are the Chiefs doing better/worse than in the 2021 playoffs?

The Chiefs aren't close to the scoring machine they were earlier in Mahomes' career. They finished 15th in the regular season in scoring. Offensive sloppiness has been a problem throughout the season. The Chiefs have dropped more passes than any other team and only one team has had more offensive penalties. The Chiefs used to regularly rally to wins, but not as much this season. They lost five games by one score and in four the Chiefs had the ball late with a chance to win or send it to overtime. They failed to score every time. But the Chiefs are stronger defensively. They finished second in the league in points allowed and sacks. They had two players (George Karlaftis and Jones) with more than 10 sacks for the first time since 2018. — Teicher

What are the Bills doing better/worse than in the 2021 playoffs?

This isn't the same Bills defense that gave up a field goal with 13 seconds left two years ago. Many of the faces are different, but beyond that, this is a unit that has seen a slight increase in total yards allowed over the seasons since 2021 (from 289.2 yards per game to 308, 1 this season) while creating more sacks (6.7% of yards per game). bags per drop in 2021 to 8%). The Bills defense has blitzed less since 2021 (24.7% to 21.1%).

A more difficult area to quantify is the Bills' ability to adjust to the loss of injured players. Losing cornerback Tre'Davious White at the end of 2021 was significant, but this year, as injuries continued to pile up, the Bills were able to adapt and show off their depth. — Getzenberg