Bills at Chiefs prediction: Buffalo can win at Kansas City if they keep Patrick Mahomes off the field,says Phoebe Schecter

This Sunday's game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills will be an epic showdown, a highly anticipated clash that everyone is looking forward to. The NFL playoffs have reached the Conference Championship stage, the final stop on the road to the Super Bowl, with the Bills heading to the Chiefs' home field once again for the AFC Championship game.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is aiming to lead his team to their third consecutive Super Bowl victory, while the Bills' Josh Allen is eager to reach the Super Bowl for the first time, a momentous occasion for Buffalo, which has been absent for so long. The two teams have had many thrilling encounters in recent years, with the Bills often defeating the Chiefs in the regular season, but the Chiefs consistently perform exceptionally well in the playoffs.

For some, the stars only shine when the spotlight is on them. This is the perfect stage for Travis Kelce, where regular season performance becomes irrelevant. Last week's victory against Houston proved this once again. Kelce had an average regular season, but in that game, he recorded his highest receiving yards of the season, even surpassing the combined total of all other Chiefs receivers.

Now, the Chiefs are also focusing on their running game on offense, with speedsters Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy. They can tear through opposing defenses, creating offensive opportunities in the middle, and Kelce is one of the best tight ends at reading and adapting to zone defenses, adept at finding these openings. His excellent understanding of the team's tactics, coupled with his chemistry with Mahomes, makes the offense even more threatening. Mahomes often manages to accurately pass the ball to Kelce for touchdowns even while falling, a combination that can often completely dismantle opposing defenses.

Against the Chiefs, the game often depends on who has possession of the ball last. The Bills and the Baltimore Ravens have shown the way to win – time of possession is crucial. In the Wild Card round of the playoffs, the Bills and Ravens held possession for approximately 20 minutes more than their opponents. The best defense is to keep your offense on the field, forcing Mahomes to wait on the sidelines. Additionally, it's essential to strengthen the running game, as the Bills did against the Ravens last week. When Allen needs to showcase his magic, he must step up. He didn't have many flashy plays in the win against the Ravens, but we saw his progress; he's no longer getting sacked, no longer throwing interceptions, he's protecting the ball. He must trust the process, be patient, and gradually build an advantage, which is what the Chiefs excel at – beating them the Chiefs' way.

Some say the Bills are too slow, too small, and don't have enough star players, so I think they want to fight not only for themselves but also for the people of Buffalo. This would be incredibly meaningful. They reached the Super Bowl four times in the 1990s but failed to win, and now they seem to have their most realistic chance since then, in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. I think they have a great team and coaching staff, and they are now capable of winning games, so I think they have a chance. But it won't be easy; the Chiefs have home-field advantage, and Arrowhead Stadium is a tough place to play. It's hard not to favor the Chiefs, and they are very healthy right now.

But if I don't favor the Bills, and they end up making it to the Super Bowl, they'll definitely say, "Really, Phoebe? You didn't stick with your gut feeling?" I am really torn. Next, the NFC Championship game will also be very interesting, because the last time the two teams met (December 22), the Washington Commanders narrowly defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 36-33 in the final moments, but Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts left the game due to a concussion. Washington's victory in Detroit last week was almost a similar script. The Commanders have no pressure; they shouldn't even be here, so they are now playing with nothing to lose. The Eagles, on the other hand, feel immense pressure; they feel they must win. They lost in the Super Bowl two years ago, so opportunities don't come around too often.

I think Washington's quarterback, Jayden Daniels, can really break down the Eagles' defense. He's playing exceptionally well; he doesn't look like a rookie but like a seasoned veteran. He looks very relaxed, composed, and confident. He never seems flustered and throws with great accuracy. In addition, he has excellent athleticism; he's fast and elusive. The Commanders had more turnovers the last time they played, so they need to protect the ball on offense and stop the opponent's running game on defense. The Eagles were successful in advancing in that game, with Saquon Barkley rushing for 150 yards and two touchdowns.

Barkley's burst speed, vision, physicality, and athleticism are all outstanding; he can hurt you in many ways. But if you're determined to say, "We're not letting this guy ruin our day," I think you have to go all out to stop the run. I would apply extra pressure or increase the number of players on the defensive line, and then hope to force Hurts to pass, because we've seen that his performance has been inconsistent recently. On defense, if the Commanders can be fearless like they were against the Lions and can stop the run, I think Washington will win, which is really shocking.

Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson lost last week to Allen, another strong contender for this season's MVP. The discussion surrounding Jackson is that he can't perform when he gets to the playoffs. Baltimore lost again, but it's not necessarily because Jackson didn't perform. He did make some mistakes, but ultimately, at the end of the game, Mark Andrews' unfortunate fumble resulted in a 2-point deficit. It wasn't a decision-making error by Jackson. I understand people's views on Jackson; it's frustrating that you get to the playoffs again and fail, but he still had an MVP-caliber season.

I don't know if he needs to win more playoff games or lead Baltimore to the Super Bowl (to be considered a great player), but I think people want to see him succeed. Jackson is a major reason why the Ravens have been so good, but it can't be all on one person. Many quarterbacks have won MVP but never won a Super Bowl, and they are still legends and have left their legacies, such as Dan Marino.

Phoebe Schecter made the above comments in an interview with BBC Sport reporter Ben Collins.