The Kansas City Chiefs (5-5) take on the Buffalo Bills (5-5) on Sunday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium.
There are nine teams in the AFC that sit between four and six wins, and they're fighting for the AFC South division, which the Indianapolis Colts (5-5) currently lead, and then the final two Wild Card spots for the AFC playoff picture.
Two of these teams are the Chiefs and Bills.
The Chiefs currently hold the No. 6 spot in the AFC playoff picture, but there is plenty of football to be played and much can still happen. Things will become clearer as we approach the final few weeks of the season.
It's been over a month since the Chiefs have played a game in the friendly confines of Arrowhead, and the Bills present a difficult matchup in what will be the eighth consecutive year these two teams have played in the regular season.
Here are 12 stats to know heading into Sunday's game:
1. Chiefs refusing to turn it over
For the first time in franchise history, the Chiefs have gone four straight regular season games without turning the ball over.
They had gone three straight games without a turnover on five separate occasions, but without turning it over last week against the San Diego Chargers, they set a new franchise record.
2. On the road again…
This will be the third straight game on the road for the Bills, who boast a 3-1 record away from Ralph Wilson Stadium this season.
The Chiefs are 7-6 against the Bills at Arrowhead Stadium in the all-time series.Â
3. Taylor stepping up in 2015
Coming into the 2015 season, Tyrod Taylor, the Buffalo Bills starting quarterback, had attempted just 35 career passes in his four years in the NFL.
Last Monday against the New England Patriots, Taylor attempted one more than that in a single game, going 20 of 36 for 233 yards in a 7-point loss to the undefeated Patriots on the road.
The former sixth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens was finally given his opportunity to start with the Bills in 2015—his first year with the team, and he's made the most of it.
In eight starts this season, Taylor has completed 68 percent of his passes for 1,669 yards with 11 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions.
At 6 feet 1 and 215 pounds, Taylor might not have the prototypical size of a NFL quarterback, but he does have plus athleticism, as demonstrated by his 244 yards rushing this season, including a team-high 5 carries of 20-plus yards.
4. Defense has been dominating recently
Over the past four games, the Chiefs defense has allowed just 39 total points (9.75 ppg) and forced 12 turnovers. In the month of November alone, the Chiefs defense has allowed just 232 total yards per game, which is the best in the NFL.
The Chiefs have 14 interceptions this season, which is the second-most of any team in the NFL (Carolina Panthers- 15).
5. Two teams on opposite ends of the penalty spectrum
The Bills have had 95 penalties accepted against them this season, which is the second-most for any team in the NFL.
On the other side of the spectrum, the Chiefs have been one of the least-penalized teams in the NFL with just 61 accepted against them, which is the fifth-fewest in the NFL.
LAST TIME THEY MET
The Kansas City Chiefs visit the Buffalo Bills in week 10 of the 2014 season.
6. When the Chiefs have won this season, they've won BIG
The Chiefs have the largest margin of victory in the NFL this season at 19.6 points, including a 22.75 margin during their current four-game winning streak.
7. The Chiefs have been winning the field position battle
The average starting position for the Chiefs offense this season has been the 31.4-yard line, which is the best in the NFL.
8. Alex Smith keeps throwing passes, avoiding interceptions
Alex Smith is coming off one of the most efficient games he's had in a Chiefs uniform. He completed 20 of 25 passes for 253 yards last Sunday against the San Diego Chargers.
Early in the first quarter of that game, Smith found running back Charcandrick West across the middle for a gain of 47 yards and at the same time, set a franchise record for most consecutive passes thrown without an interception—a record set back Steve DeBerg more than 25 years ago.
Smith has now thrown 253 consecutive passes without a pick, which is also the longest streak for any quarterback in the NFL this season. His last interception came back in Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers.
9. Colquitt pins the opposition
Dustin Colquitt holds the top ranking in NFL history (since 1976) for percentage of punts inside the 20 per attempt at 39.5 percent.
The below list a breakdown of players with at least 850 punts since 1976.
Punts Inside the 20 (per attempt, since 1976) | ||||
Rank |
Player |
Punts |
Inside 20 |
PCT |
1 |
Dustin Colquitt |
863 |
341 |
39.5 |
2 |
Craig Hentrich |
1,150 |
399 |
34.7 |
3 |
Donnie Jones |
947 |
312 |
32.9 |
4t |
Dave Zastudil |
869 |
285 |
32.8 |
4t |
Brad Maynard |
1,339 |
439 |
32.8 |
10. Travis Kelce leads all tight ends in YAC
Over the past two years, Travis Kelce has more yards after the catch (890) than any other tight end in the NFL.Â
NFL Leaders, TE YAC 2014-15 | |||
Rank |
Player |
YAC |
Team |
1 |
Travis Kelce |
890 |
Kansas City Chiefs |
2 |
Rob Gronkowski |
878 |
New England Patriots |
3 |
Martellus Bennett |
683 |
Chicago Bears |
4 |
Greg Olsen |
619 |
Carolina Panthers |
5 |
Delanie Walker |
591 |
Tennessee Titans |
11. Chiefs have been dominating the first half
During their four-game winning streak, the Chiefs have outscored their opponents 64-9 in the first half.
Andy Reid is 125-26 in his career when leading at the half.
12. Bills offense scores from distance
The Bills offense leads the NFL in points scored outside of the red zone with 139. The NFL average is 65.