NFL Power Rankings: Buffalo Bills Heading For 'Nice Trip Down Memory Lane' vs. Kansas City Chiefs

The Buffalo Bills head to a familiar place as they begin their push toward a playoff spot.

Coming off of a bye week, there was minimal movement for the Buffalo Bills in Sports Illustrated's power ranking, as they dropped one spot to land at No. 13. 

Out of the bye week, the playoffs are coming a little early for the Bills (6-6) and they'll have to start their run at a place that hasn't been friendly to them in the biggest games. 

"Off the bye week, trying to stave off what has been an oncoming emotional whirlwind years in the making, the Bills get a nice trip down memory lane by taking on the Chiefs at Arrowhead in the big afternoon game this weekend," SI writes. "In what is effectively a playoff game for the battered Bills, we’ll see what a difference some rest makes."

Josh Allen is 2-3 vs. Patrick Mahomes / USA Today Sports

Buffalo was eliminated from the playoffs by the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in the AFC championship game in 2021 and the divisional round in 2022. The Bills led 36-33 with 13 seconds left in the game before Kansas City (8-4) drove down the field in two plays to tie the game with a field goal and won 42-36 in overtime.  

Arrowhead Stadium has been much friendlier to the Bills during the regular season, as they've won 38-20 and 24-20 in their last two matchups.

Neither team has been the juggernaut they had been the previous three seasons. Buffalo is at .500 and needs to get hot down the stretch of the season plus some help from other teams. Kansas City will likely win the AFC West for the eighth straight year, though its offense hasn't been as explosive as in years past. 

AFC Playoff Picture: Where Do Bills Stand After Bye?

Regardless of the teams being lesser versions of themselves compared to years past, they'll square off in a regular season game with playoff implications, and if the Bills are going to make a run to be one of the seven teams in the AFC playoffs, they'll have to do what they've done the last two times they faced the Chiefs in the regular season. 

Buffalo faces Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.