John Miller

Six Points: Bills vs. Chiefs

Published Nov. 26, 2015 8:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

The Buffalo Bills (5-5) take on the Kansas City Chiefs (5-5) in a battle to determine Wild Card standing on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. EST.

Four AFC teams currently share a 5-5 record and are jockeying for playoff position. But the winner of this game will own the conference's sixth and final playoff seed -- at least for one week.

Expect this game to be a defensive battle. Bills coach Rex Ryan will throw his entire playbook at Alex Smith to confuse the K.C. quarterback. Meanwhile, the Chiefs will try to force a bruised Tyrod Taylor (collarbone) into one too many mistakes.

Here are three keys to the game for both the Bills and Chiefs:

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BILLS:

1. Lean on LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams

The Bills are banged up on offense, with Tyrod Taylor, Charles Clay and John Miller all dealing with injuries. Rex Ryan expects Taylor to play, but the others are question marks. With that said, the Bills need to lean on their stud running backs again in McCoy and Williams. They didn't have their best games against the New England Patriots, but McCoy was able to make an impact as a receiver, catching six passes for 41 yards.

2. Find creative ways to get Sammy Watkins involved

Watkins was frustrated by Malcolm Butler and the Patriots on Monday night, having caught just three passes on seven targets. He said last month that he wants 10 targets per game, and it's time for the Bills to make that happen. They need to find creative ways to get him the ball rather than having him run deep routes. Shallow crosses and screen passes are easy ways to get him going, which would certainly give the offense a spark.

3. Take away short throws for Alex Smith

Smith has made a living with short, quick throws in the NFL, and he's done a great job of it. He's the epitome of a West Coast quarterback, who has the ability to take off and make plays with his legs. To force him into mistakes, the Bills can play underneath coverage, forcing Smith into taking shots downfield. Jeremy Maclin is his best weapon on the outside, and with either Stephon Gilmore or Ronald Darby covering him, the Bills could make it difficult for Smith to get him the ball.

CHIEFS:

1. Bring heat right up the middle against Taylor

Left guard Richie Incognito is inconsistent and unreliable. Starting right guard John Miller suffered a high-ankle sprain last week in Foxboro. Nose tackle Dontari Poe (24 total tackles) and defensive end Allen Bailey (4 1/2 sacks) should have a field day against a not-so-healthy Taylor.

2. Keep contain against McCoy

Shady is averaging just over 100 yard a game over his last three. His former coach, Andy Reid, knows just how he does it -- by bouncing runs to the outside and making cornerbacks tackle. Derrick Johnson's mission in Week 12 is to keep McCoy squared up all afternoon.

3. Take advantage of shorter down and distance

Ryan's coaches a talented but hot-headed and undisciplined team. They're averaging almost 10 flags a game in 2015 and have accrued 852 yards worth of penalties. The Chiefs need to stay aggressive and look for receiver Jeremy Maclin or tight end Travis Kelce when they're handed early yardage.