The Sunday night showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills will be the divisional round weekend marquee matchup. Kansas City will be playing its first post-season road game since 2015, well before the arrival of Patrick Mahomes.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has always embraced hostile environments on the road and expects a raucous crowd in Buffalo. The Pro Bowler spoke with the media on Friday about the team’s mindset heading into Sunday.
“I think the biggest thing is just the instead of being on the road game because everybody’s played on the road,” Kelce explained. “I think it’s more so in the playoffs; we take it up a notch from the wildcard last weekend, the playoffs just kind of speed up as you go along in the playoffs. And that’s (why) I think it’s more important to stay focused and understand your assignments a little bit more so you can go out there and play as fast as you possibly can.”
The fans, better known as the “Bills Mafia,” have a well-known reputation for supporting their team. A moment during last week’s Wild Card victory over the Pittsburgh Stealers included snowballs thrown from the crowd, and it didn’t go unnoticed by Kelce.
“It’s a hostile environment, ain’t it? Bills Mafia man,” Kelce said. “That’s why it’s their home-field advantage. That’s why I’m sure the guys love playing for that fan base. I grew up in Cleveland, man. We’re throwing beer bottles at people.”
The always fired-up Kelce will be an energetic presence if the weather elements or if fans play a factor in the game.
