Three ways KC Chiefs have changed since their regular-season loss at Buffalo Bills

The Chiefs walked off the field in Buffalo 30-21 losers to the Bills in Week 11.

During their on-field post-game meeting after Kansas City’s first loss of the season, KC quarterback Patrick Mahomes told Buffalo QB Josh Allen, “We’ll do it again.”

Allen’s reply to Mahomes: “We’ll see you guys later.”

They were right. The Chiefs and Bills clash in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

They’re the top two seeds in the AFC, so their run of success didn’t change much after that game on Nov. 17. But others elements did.

Here are three ways the Chiefs are different from that day in New York:

Remarkable turnover run

The Chiefs’ second play in Buffalo was a Mahomes interception. And their final snap was Mahomes’ second pick of the game.

Since then, Mahomes hasn’t thrown an interception. He finished the regular season with 237 consecutive pass attempts without a pick, the longest such stretch of his career.

In the Chiefs’ Divisional Round victory over the Houston Texans last Saturday, he added another 25 pass attempts with no interceptions.

Also notable: The Chiefs have lost no fumbles during this span, even in a 38-0 defeat against the Denver Broncos in the regular-season finale, when KC rested most of its starters.

That’s eight games and 486 offensive snaps since their last giveaway. According to CBS Sports, it’s the longest streak without a turnover by a team in the Super Bowl era.

The Chiefs could have seen the streak end against the Texans when Nikko Remigio fumbled the opening kickoff after a 63-yard return. But Chiefs teammate Samaje Perine was there for the recovery.

The Bills also have been excellent in this department. Their eight turnovers during the regular season match the 2019 New Orleans Saints for the fewest in a season since 1933.

They’re healthier

Back on the field now are four Kansas City players who were on injured reserve for that regular-season game against Buffalo.

Defensive end Charles Omenihu, cornerback Jaylen Watson, wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and running back Isiah Pacheco all played in the Chiefs’ Divisional Round victory over the Texans.

Omenihu had one of the eight sacks for the Chiefs against Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud.

“He’s getting there and I’m glad we have him back,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said.

Brown didn’t have a reception Saturday, but he had nine in his two regular-season appearances after missing the first 14 games. Pacheco started last week’s game and Watson saw the field for the first time since Week 7.

Each received a playoff game’s worth of snaps to get re-acclimated to game speed.

Left tackle is settled (right?)

Wanya Morris started for the eighth time this season when the Chiefs played at Buffalo.

The left tackle spot, if not shored up, at least had a consistence presence after Morris replaced rookie Kingsley Suamataia in the Chiefs’ second game of the season.

But Morris would get just two more starts before he, too, was sent to the bench. The Chiefs acquired veteran D.J. Humphries, who was injured in his first start but returned to start the Week 18 game at Denver.

Joe Thuney moved from guard to tackle in the three games between Humphries’ starts and got the call again against the Texans. Left tackle appears to be Thuney’s job during this playoff run, with Mike Caliendo playing left guard. Morris was inactive for the game against Houston.

“I thought our guys held up well (vs. the Texans),” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “We did some good things in the run game and in the passing game. We were decent on third downs. All around it was good against who (we) were playing against.”