3 Keys to AFC Division Round NFL Playoff Games

The most anticipated NFL playoff game of this divisional round: The Cincinnati Bengals visit the Buffalo Bills in a rematch of a canceled contest earlier this month.

Bills safety Dumar Hamlin’s recovery has continued to improve since suffering an on-field cardiac arrest when the two teams met on Jan. 2.

But the No. 3-seeded Bengals and No. 2-seeded Bills have issues to work out, and the stakes are high for the winner to advance to the AFC Championship Game.

The Bengals hope to reach the conference title game for the second straight season, while the Bills hope to come back after doing so in 2020 and 2021.

Here are the three keys to watch for Sunday’s game at 3:30 PM ET.

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How will Joe Burrow hold up behind the Bengals’ offensive line?

Burrow was the most sacked quarterback in the preseason, having been brought down 70 times, including 19 in the Super Bowl. So he will be ready for the challenge that in this game he will play in Buffalo with three offensive his lines he could beat the starter.

Left tackle Jonah Williams has a dislocated patella and right guard Alex Kappa has an ankle injury. Coach Zach Taylor said earlier this week that both will be considered on a weekly basis: Rael Collins, who started the right tackle against the Patriots on Christmas Eve, tore his ACL.

Burrow has been sacked four times during the Bengals’ win over the Ravens last week, and 41 times this season. He must find ways to avoid pressure as much as possible and manipulate the pocket to quickly send the ball out to the star receiver to keep Buffalo’s pass rush honest in this game.

Bengals Weapon vs. Bills Secondary

Speaking of the Bengals’ arsenal, receivers Jamer Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd will help Cincinnati move forward. They will have to capitalize on the Bills defender who proved himself against the Dolphins last week.

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Star cornerback Tre’Davious White seemed to be peaking his comeback from an ACL tear last year, and rookie Kaiir Elam played at his best. Both had some important pass splits, but Elam secured a game-changing interception in his game in the first playoff.

Third String Bills safety Dean Marlowe, who was intercepted last week, also has a starting opportunity after Jordan Poyer in place of Hamlin and Micah Hyde.

Still, Chase and Higgins are the number one receivers on the same team, and Boyd is one of the best pass catchers in the NFL.

Josh Allen’s sales figures could be a problem

Allen, the Bills’ star quarterback, was electric with three touchdowns, including a fumble returned for a touchdown, but created a deficit early in the second half against the Dolphins last week. .

Allen has 16 interceptions and 16 fumbles this season, including two and three respectively since Buffalo’s playoff win last week. With those numbers, the Bengals’ defense must be wanting to know how many times they can flip Allen, not if they can.

Allen says if he hopes to lead Buffalo to their third AFC title game in four years, and their first Super Bowl since the 1990s, throw an interception or run a football with one hand and let the football go unnoticed. I can not do it.

Bonus Key: How Will the Bills’ Home Field Affect The Bengals?

Either way, it’ll be interesting to see how the Bills’ home field advantage this week affects this contest.

The canceled January 2 Bills-Bengals game may have determined home field advantage in this game.

Instead, the Bengals feel like they got the short end of the stick when the NFL ruled that the AFC title game between the Bills and Kansas City Chiefs would be a neutral site game. And even more this week when the NFL started selling tickets for games.

If the Bengals win, they’ll have to travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs (if they win). If the Jacksonville Jaguars upset KC, the winner of Sunday’s Bengals-Bengals game will host his game for the AFC title.

This article originally appeared in USA TODAY: Bengals vs. Bills AFC Playoff Preview: Keys to the NFL Division Game