The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Buffalo Bills in a contest that, on paper, shouldn't be too close. The Chiefs are favored by more than a touchdown in Vegas and I think most folks are expecting them to continue their success against 0-6 Buffalo.
I'm leaning that way as well but no game in the NFL is truly easy. The Chiefs do have weaknesses and areas that can make them vulnerable against Buffalo. I asked Brian Galliford of Buffalo Rumblings to tell me what he thinks the Chiefs weaknesses are.
"I'll go with Matt Cassel and the pass rush," Galliford says.
"I am just not impressed with Cassel at all; he's the type of player that needs a lot more around him, particularly in the receiver department, than the Chiefs currently have. Cassel can't carry a passing offense by himself; he needs a lot of skill, and KC isn't quite there yet. He does what it takes to win, but the truly great teams - those that are legitimate Super Bowl contenders - get much more out of their starting quarterback. Still, Cassel should be able to make plays against the Bills."
I think Chiefs fans are starting to come around on Cassel over the last few weeks but I don't think others are quite convinced yet. To be fair, Cassel has a long way to go before most of us consider him "the man" in Kansas City. But there is marked improvement, particularly over the last month.
The next weakness Galliford brings up is one that's haunted KC for a few years: pass rush.
"I'm also not particularly worried about Kansas City's pass rush," Galliford says. "Beyond Tamba Hali, there really isn't a pass rushing threat, and Ryan Fitzpatrick is on fire right now diagnosing blitzes pre-snap and adjusting his protections accordingly. I know that the Chiefs' secondary is playing very well, Brandon Flowers in particular, but Fitzpatrick will make some plays if the Chiefs can't get pressure on him."
I can agree with him there though I think Hali will be an issue for the Bills. He's able to disrupt the quarterback even if the sacks aren't always there. The Bills may be able to shut down Hali but they're going to have to work for it.