This postseason rivalry stretches back over 50 years.
The Buffalo Bills have faced the Kansas City Chiefs four times in the last five postseasons.
Josh Allen has only lost to three quarterbacks in the postseason. Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson (I know right?) and Patrick Mahomes – three times over.
But what about all those other times the Bills and Chiefs met in the postseason?
Was it the same old story back? Were Bills fans tortured by a different quarterback?
The first playoff meeting
The date is January 1st, 1967.
The NFL consisted of just 16 teams as the merger was yet to take place between the AFL and NFL.
The Chiefs visited the Bills with the AFL title on the line. Back then – there were only eight teams in the AFL so only one playoff game was played between the division winners.
The winner of this game would go on to face Bart Starr and the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I.
It was not to be for the Bills however, as they lost 31-7.
Len Dawson, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, was every bit the enigma and poster boy that Patrick Mahomes is today. Except Len was famously photographed smoking a cigarette at half time of that very Super Bowl.
Not something I could imagine the modern day quarterbacks of the league ever doing!
A 35 year wait
It would be quite some time before these two teams would meet again.
Both teams over the course of these 35 years had their ‘rough patches’ shall we say.
In 1992 however, the Bills would have their revenge.
Andre Reed would score twice and Scott Norwood would tuck away three field goals on the way to a resounding 37-14 victory.
Buffalo were a juggernaut in the early 90s and this was one of those seasons!
Defeating the Denver Broncos in the Conference Championship – they were then faced with the Washington Redskins in the Super Bowl.
And, well, of course we know how that turned out.
Hello again
A year later in 1993 we would have another Buffalo v Kansas City AFC Conference title match.
As they did the year before, the Bill crushed the Chiefs 30-13.
This time Thurman Thomas would score three touchdowns, rushing for 186 yards while doing so.
Buffalo would go on to get their own 30-13 humbling in the Super Bowl – the fourth in a row second in a row to the Dallas Cowboys.
Modern day
After a barren period for both teams through the noughties – the Bills failing to make the playoffs for 17 consecutive seasons – we have been rewarded with a glutton of Bills v Chiefs high stakes affairs.
It has not been a happy hunting ground for the Bills the last three occasions – but it has not always been like this.
So, my advice to Josh Allen this weekend?
Wear baggy jeans, a sweatshirt and listen to some Bryan Adams on your Walkman on the way in.
Most importantly though – hand the ball off to your dynamic running back!
