Previewing the Kansas City Chiefs 2009 Schedule: Week 14

So, we had this grand idea of previewing every game in the Kansas City Chiefs 2009 schedule.  We were going to take a look at each opponent, occassionally ask our fellow bloggers to answer a few questions about their team then predict a win or a loss for each game.

Then we got behind.

We're currently in week 14, so for the next two days you'll get four previews.  

Today, it's Brian from Buffalo Rumblings talking about the Bills week 14 game against the Chiefs.  He was kind enough to answer a few questions about how the Bills might fare this season, particularly in week 14.

With TO and Lee Evans in the fold, is the plan to have a heavy dose of the passing game?  Or will the offense start with Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson?

From a purely theoretical standpoint, the Bills will have the flexibility to run their offense however they want to run it. 

They've got the receiving corps to do serious damage, and they've got two running backs that can grind out yardage and keep drives alive.  It'll depend on the opponent, the time of year (i.e. weather involved), and the play up front from our completely revamped offensive line. 

Buffalo is a team that is built to play with leads, however, so expect the Bills to be aggressive early in nearly every game they play this year.

The Chiefs have a poor offensive line.  Even with the Bills lack of pass rushers, will they be able to penetrate and get to the QB this year?

Well, they've certainly struggled in this department in years past, but that's why the team drafted DE Aaron Maybin No. 11 overall this past April. 

Even after a nearly month-long holdout, Maybin has looked excellent; he's only practiced with the team for three weeks now, yet in two pre-season appearances, he logged two sacks and a forced fumble.  He's a liability against the run, but if he can make things happen rushing the passer, his selection will have been well worth the investment.

In time, Maybin's presence should free up other players - including Aaron Schobel and our favorite blitzer, Kawika Mitchell - simply because he's the type of athlete that demands extra attention from offensive coordinators. 

How quickly Maybin turns into that type of force remains to be seen; it might not even happen this year.If the Chiefs need to stop one part of the Bills offense to win the game, what is it?

Without question, the running backs. 

Trent Edwards is still a very young quarterback; many here in Buffalo believe he has regressed from his lackluster 2008 performance after a terrible pre-season.  Opponents will want the pressure squarely on his shoulders, because even if he makes the occasional big play to receivers Terrell Owens and Lee Evans, he'll also make a few mistakes. 

Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson are the heartbeat of the offense - they keep the unit balanced, churn out the tough yards, and move the chains in clutch situations.  Stop them, and you've got Buffalo's offense exactly where you want it - on the right arm of Edwards.

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Prediction: 21-20 Chiefs.  Those rose colored glasses make us 7-6 on the season.