Patrick Mahomes will be making his third consecutive conference championship appearance. For Aaron Rodgers, it will be his fifth appearance. For Tom Brady, his 14th.
For the Bills' Josh Allen, it will be his first time in a conference championship when Buffalo visits Kansas City. He's also the only quarterback playing today that hasn't won a league MVP award.
But the third-year quarterback belongs. The Bills have thrown the ball 73 percent of the time in their two postseason wins over the Colts and Ravens to reach this point. And when Allen hasn't been throwing the ball, he's been Buffalo's primary ballcarrier, as well, with 18 carries for 57 yards in the postseason.
That's a lot of pressure on the 24-year-old, but if he wants to get Buffalo back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1993, he'll have to put on the Superman cape one more time.
The Bills rushed for just 1,482 yards this season -- their fewest since 2014 -- but Allen threw for 4,786 yards, while also rushing for 421 yards.
“We’re not going to change who we are,” Allen said. “It’s the biggest game because it’s the next one, but we understand that we don’t have to be anyone different that who we are.”
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In Mahomes, of course, the Bill will face a stiff test. The 2018 league MVP will play today despite suffering a concussion and toe injuries in last week's win over the Browns. But how much he throws the ball remains to be seen.
The Chiefs beat the Bills during the regular season, 26-17, in Week 6, rushing for a season-high 245 yards. But Mahomes doesn't expect to have any restrictions in this game.
"I'll be able to go out there and be myself," he said.
That should make things interesting.
No more so than the matchup in the NFC where the player who is arguably the most talented player in NFL history throwing the ball will face off against the quarterback widely considered the best to ever play the game.
This will mark the first time in their history that Rodgers and Brady will square off in a playoff game. Brady, of course, moved over to the NFC this year when he joined Tampa Bay, while Rodgers' lone trip to the Super Bowl came in 2011 against the Steelers.
"I remember when I heard the news about him coming to the NFC, I thought this was a real possibility," Rodgers said. "And I'm excited about the opportunity to play against him one more time."
This game will be a rematch, as well. The Buccaneers handed the Packers one of their three losses this season, beating them, 38-10, ironically, also in Week 6.
“I think the Week 6 game matters as much as when the Saints went to their place and beat them 38-3,” Rodgers said, referring to the Bucs' win last week over the Saints to reach this point.
Our football staff predicts the games:
Dale Lolley: Since we saw the Bucs reverse their fortunes last week against the Saints after two regular season losses to New Orleans, why not again this week? I never like to go with a quarterback coming back off a concussion, as Mahomes is doing, while the Packers, at home, in the snow are my pick over Brady and company.
Bills 30, Chiefs 27
Packers 27, Buccaneers 23
Ramon Foster: Buffalo over K.C. would be a shocker, I know. I like the Bills’ passing defense better. The toe issue with Mahomes might be more of an issue than the concussion. I’ve got Green Bay because of Rodgers. He’s on a revenge tour because of the first-round draft pick and that his organization hasn’t done a lot to help him. Also, the Smith brothers and their rush alone will throw Brady off.
Bills 38, Chiefs 35
Packers 31, Buccaneers 27
Chris Carter: The Chiefs and Packers have been on a collision course for most of this season. Both Mahomes and Rodgers have been the top candidates for the MVP award and been assassins in and outside of the pocket all season. The Bills' defense will have their hands full and the Buccaneers won't be able to live off horrible passes from Rodgers like they did from Drew Brees last week.
Chiefs 31, Bills 27
Packers 34, Buccaneers 30
Tom Reed: The Chiefs got a little casual in their win against the Browns, and it almost cost them. Kansas City has proven it can win in big games, while Buffalo remains untested in a big game on the road. At this point, I have more trust in a hobbled Mahomes than a healthy Allen. Green Bay defensive coordinator Mike Pettine has lost his last eight games against Brady, but I expect Rodgers to find a way.
Chiefs 34, Bills 27
Packers 27, Buccaneers 24
Dejan Kovacevic: The Bills’ offense can be boiled down to trying two things that don’t work, then having Allen find Stefon Diggs. That won’t cut it in a championship game, even against a subpar defense like K.C.’s. On the other front, everything about this season’s pointed to Rodgers reaching the Super Bowl for only the second time, the other, of course, when he beat the Steelers. Tampa Bay won’t have an answer.
Chiefs 33, Bills 19
Packers 38, Buccaneers 27