One of the NFL's biggest rivalries in recent years, the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, begins its latest chapter in Orchard Park, New York, on Sunday in a highly anticipated showdown.
The Chiefs remain undefeated after blocking a game-winning field goal against the Denver Broncos, while the Bills have reeled off five straight wins to move to 8-2 on the year.
The team to beat in the NFL is the Chiefs, and although they have been in some close games, they have done everything necessary to get the job done and make sure their loss column stays clean.
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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, No. 17, tackles Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, No. 54, during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, 10 November 2024 in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
So what must the Bills do to beat their rival? NFL legend Rob Gronkowski knows it all comes down to those final minutes of the fourth quarter, better known as “the crunch.”
“The Bills need to play a complete game. All four quarters, there's no doubt about that,” Gronkowski told Fox News Digital at the grand opening of Great Wolf Lodge in Naples, Florida, on Thursday. “And when push comes to shove, they can't make any mistakes because Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs don't make mistakes when push comes to shove. They know how to win, no matter what type of game it is.” .
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“Patrick Mahomes knows how to adapt to whatever situation is happening on the field. The same goes for the entire Kansas City Chiefs organization. They are very difficult to beat because they know, no matter what the situation is, they know how to deal with it. They know how act and they know how to overcome it.
“So when it comes to the Bills beating them, we know it's going to be a close game. It's going to go down to the wire like every other game against the Chiefs this year. [Buffalo] I have to be able to be perfect in the decisive moments and not make those mistakes. Catch the ball, they can't let it fall. “They can't have an interception, they can't have a fumble when it comes to the final minutes.”
Of course, what “Gronk” says is easier said than done, but it's the truth: The Chiefs know exactly what to do in crunch time, whether it's a big fourth-down stop against the Atlanta Falcons, driving down the field. for a touchdown in overtime against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or blocking a game-winning field goal last week as time expired.
Say what you want about the Chiefs: They simply know how to win football games.
Rob Gronkowski at the Fox Sports press day at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix on February 7, 2023. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
However, Buffalo fans know that this rivalry has not been lopsided.
The Bills have won three of their last five games, although both losses in that span came in the playoffs. One of them was an all-time NFL classic, when the Chiefs beat the Bills in overtime to advance after Mahomes arrived on the field in 13 seconds to give Harrison Butker a chance to score a field goal for send the game to overtime.
With the playoffs being what really matters to both teams, Gronkowski knows what a win for Buffalo, his hometown team, could mean for them when it comes time for the showdown everyone wants to see in the playoffs once again. .
“The Bills need to win this game because they need the confidence of making the playoffs to know they can beat the Chiefs,” he said. “They just have to do it at least once. If they do it this weekend, I feel like it will give the Bills confidence to beat anyone come playoff time.”
Gronkowski was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame earlier this week, and all he heard was the conversation between the Bills and Chiefs with the area fully prepared for the ruckus on Sunday night.
“It's probably going to be the best game of the weekend, which is great for the NFL and great for Buffalo,” Gronkowski said.
Former NFL player Rob Gronkowski watches before Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on February 12, 2023. (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
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Gronkowski was sitting poolside in Naples, Florida, after a tough morning going up and down stairs at the grand opening of the Great Wolf Lodge in the Sunshine State.
“I've been here at Great Wolf Lodge since 7am this morning. I went down all 12 water slides,” he said with a big smile on his face. “The Great Wolf Lodge also partnered with Make-A-Wish. There have also been 12 Make-A-Wish kids here. We all went down the water slides, had a good time, and I feel like a kid again. Everyone” “He looks at me like a big boy because I'm a big boy near and dear to my heart.”
While Gronkowski unlocked his inner child on the water slides, he also unlocked $60,000 ($5,000 for each slide) that will be donated to Make-A-Wish Southern Florida.
Rob Gronkowski poses at the Great Wolf Lodge in Florida. (Grand Lodge of the Wolf)
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Great Wold Lodge is also offering a special grand opening discount of up to 40% off the standard room rate, and with every reservation, the company will make a $10 donation to the American Red Cross to support hurricane relief efforts in the area.
As a Tampa resident whose mother lives just 30 minutes away in Fort Myers, the entire Gronkowski family is ready to take on the slides for years to come.
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