Sunday, November 3, 2013

Week 9 picks: Chiefs at Bills

Publisher Nick St. Denis, associate editor Dan Begnoche and senior contributor Sean Donovan pick the Buffalo Bills' battle with the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs.

Dan's take:
Pulling off an upset against the league's only undefeated team is quite a challenge without your starting quarterback, or even your backup. With quarterback Thad Lewis a no-go, Buffalo's offense will be too reliant on its run game and will give the sack-hungry Kansas City defense far too many shots at the youngster Jeff Tuel. Both teams have been successful in the turnover department, though a few early mistakes from another inexperienced signal-caller allows Jamaal Charles and the Chiefs offense to roll. 
Prediction: Chiefs 24, Bills 12

Nick's take:
It's Tuel Time. And no, that doesn't mean Tim Taylor will be making an appearance, though Bills fans may just has well have him behind center. The undrafted rookie is in for a long day against Justin Houston & Co. Defensively, the Bills' aggressive scheme should provide some opportunities to catch the usually-conservative Chiefs offense in a mistake or two, but that won't be enough.
Prediction: Chiefs 21, Bills 13

Sean's take:
The Chiefs defense, which employs an aggressive press-man scheme and a dominating pass rush, has been an unsolvable riddle for opposing quarterback so far this season. Don't expect whichever backup quarterback Buffalo sends out there to have much more luck, though the doubtful Thad Lewis' mobility would provide an extra element for Kansas City to defend. Either way, the Chiefs grind out another win.
Prediction: Chiefs 20, Bills 10