When the NFL schedule was released last May, CBS Sports president David Berson acknowledged that his company wanted to maximize the big AFC brands, and the Kansas City Chiefs were a major priority. He was delighted that the Chiefs would appear at least eight times on CBS, twice as many games as any other network. But the game he wanted above all was this Sunday’s epic matchup in Buffalo.
“We really wanted the Chiefs against the Bills, the rematch of that epic divisional game,” Berson said. “This is a huge rivalry. We really identified that as our top game because as the home of the AFC, we’ve told that story and we want to continue to tell that story. We’re thrilled that we will do so again.”
The game is massive — the 9-0 Chiefs at the 8-2 Bills. CBS is sending its “The NFL Today” pregame show to Buffalo, the first (and likely only) time the show will travel during the regular season. But the CBS crew won’t be the only ones thinking all week about the content for the game. The Athletic, like many outlets, has writers and reporters who will be covering the game in Buffalo. I was curious how our group of reporters saw the assignment from their micro perspective, so I reached out to Joe Buscaglia, our Bills writer, and Nate Taylor, our Chiefs writer. Here is our conversation.
As longtime beat writers, what does a game of this significance specifically mean for your jobs?
Buscaglia: Above all, to stay sharp all week long and keep the big picture in mind, especially with how the little details impact the big picture. The Bills didn’t have many, well, really, any of these games before 2019. Having covered the Bills daily since 2010, it was a learning process once those games became more frequent. You definitely get a little charge as a reporter when these games come around.
I remember the Thanksgiving game in Dallas in 2019 — the game I always point to as Josh Allen’s arrival to become the player he is today. That’s how I wrote it and discussed it on the postgame podcast. It was a bit of a leap to go there with Allen’s future, but one rooted in a lot of film study and conversations with and around the team over that season. That moment and game taught me to trust the work you put in before the game to allow you to match the magnitude of the game with the work you produce.
Taylor: For me, based on where we are in the calendar, this is an indicator that we’re entering a part of the year I love, which I’ve coined “real football” — when the season reaches November, the weather starts to get cold and the stakes of the games become ever more important for contenders. … This game is about continuing to report and explain the importance of the rivalry for the Chiefs and how the Bills continue to chase them through the various iterations of their dynasty.
You also have to understand that this game is likely Part 1 between the franchises (this season). I have to imagine, especially for the Chiefs, that they will most likely have a compelling Part 2 in the postseason, whether against the Bills or the (Baltimore) Ravens. You want to remind fans how cool this rivalry really is, explain the newest phase, or new characters, of the rivalry and remind readers how the rivalry has reached this ever-ascending point. Considering this is Part 1, which I truly believe it is, this game will further indicate what works for the Chiefs this season against the Bills and what needs to improve in the next two months before the much-anticipated Part 2.
GO FURTHER
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