3 Chiefs on Thin Ice Entering AFC Championship Game vs. Bills
By Joe Summers
The AFC Championship is officially set as the Kansas City Chiefs will host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday at 5:30 PM CT. This will be a rematch of the Bills' 30-21 win in the regular season that ended the Chiefs' undefeated season, though the playoffs are a different beast.
Patrick Mahomes has beaten Josh Allen in all three postseason matchups, yet this may be the most even the two teams have been throughout the rivalry. The Chiefs obviously have the horses to win this race, but offensive struggles and close finishes give the Bills some hope.
This is a game Kansas City's roster was built to win. That said, there are still a handful of players who need to improve to avoid an upset. Let's look at some Chiefs on thin ice entering the AFC title game.
1. Bryan Cook - S
Kansas City's secondary will need to be at its best to contain Allen and a dangerous offense. Unfortunately for 2022 second-rounder Bryan Cook, Saturday's performance against the Texans was among his worst of the campaign.
Cook graded as the Chiefs' worst defender at Pro Football Focus (31.8), giving up three catches for 52 yards while surrendering a 116.7 passer rating when targeted in coverage. He gave up just a 92.2 mark in the regular season and was repeatedly beaten by Houston WR Nico Collins in big moments.
Notably, Cook played a season-low 57% of the snaps. He left during the first half to be evaluated for a concussion but returned in the second half, so it's likely he would've played closer to his standard percentage without the injury. That said, he needs to be better in coverage.
He's a valuable member of this secondary, having notched 78 tackles, five deflected passes, and a pair of interceptions while stepping into a featured role. Justin Reid is a pending free agent and theoretically, Cook and rookie Jaden Hicks could be the starters at safety in 2025.
That's only possible if Cook can be trusted in the biggest moments. How he performs moving forward might wind up determining whether or not the organization offers a contract extension to Reid. Should Cook deliver, it's entirely possible he's the most experienced safety on the roster next year.