Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Excitement is starting to reach a fever pitch ahead of Sunday's AFC showdown between the 8-2 Buffalo Bills and 9-0 Kansas City Chiefs at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park.
That excitement has been felt by both fanbases, especially for fans that happen to be living in the opposing team's city.
The last three regular season matchups between the Bills and Chiefs have come in Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium, which has allowed members of "Bills Mafia" living in the Midwest to see their favorite team in action. However, they now will be watching the Bills attempt to beat the Chiefs, while heading to their nearby Bills Backers bar to show their support.
"There's always excitement when the Bills play the Chiefs," said Al Burns, owner of Al's Bar & Grill, an official Bills Backers bar in Parkville, Mo. "Let's face it, we're the two best teams in the AFC, and a lot hinges on what's going to happen, and it generates a lot of excitement, I'm sure, in Buffalo and here in Kansas City."
Normally when the Bills play in Kansas City, Burns says his place is packed with Bills fans. However, with the teams back in Orchard Park this time around and the game being in the national spotlight at 4:25 p.m. EST, he feels it may limit the number of Bills fans that come out to watch the game.
"With being that late afternoon game, we are going to sell a ton of chicken wings to go, I know that's coming. That's what always happens on late afternoon Chiefs games," Burns noted with WBEN.
Despite maybe not being as busy as Burns may expect, he knows there will still be plenty of fans dedicating their day to cheer on the Bills, as well as the Chiefs.
"It's going to be a crazy, crazy Sunday. All hands on deck," he said. "They'll be waiting outside the door at 11 o'clock on Sunday morning to stake out their seats and their tables for a game that's four-and-a-half hours later."
Being in the heart of "Chiefs Kingdom", Burns and other Bills fans in Kansas City have heard their fair share of Chiefs faithful bragging how they're going to go 17-0.
"They can be a little, how do I put it, obnoxious?" Burns said. "If the Bills lose, it's gonna be a little hard on us here. But this is a different animal right now, it's hard to explain. I know we're down receivers and all that, and I don't know if we're going to be at our best, but we do have a habit of beating them in [the regular season]."
Heading into the 2024 season, Burns admits that he and other Bills fans in Kansas City were a bit worried about the team, especially with the changes the group faced on both sides of the football. However, with the 8-2 start to the year, it's allowed fans to breath a sigh of relief.
"I'm 70-years-old, I've been watching them since 1960. I always believed in the process," Burns said. "And this year, losing [Stefon] Diggs didn't bother me, and losing Gabe Davis really didn't bother me. I was grateful when we got Keon Coleman, and I think we're in better shape right now offensively than we've been in years."
So how's Burns feeling about Sunday's outcome in Orchard Park? He says the Bills will have to control the Chiefs' run game, especially if Isiah Pacheco is somehow able to return to the lineup from injury.
"I'm going to tell you what: I think it's going to be a tight game," he said. "I'm doing this with my heart: Bills - 27, Chiefs - 24."
Meanwhile, back in Western New York, Chiefs fans know that "Bills Mafia" is going to want to spoil the party this weekend by ending Kansas City's run at a perfect season.
"Every year, these two teams, this game, it's our bread and butter here at Casey's. I think it's the NFL's bread and butter. That's why it's a 4:25 kickoff, and I can't to see some fireworks, for sure," said Vinnie Garofalo, owner of Casey's Black Rock, Western New York's only Chiefs Backers bar on Amherst Street.
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When the Bills hosted the Chiefs in Orchard Park for their AFC Divisional Round matchup this past January, Garofalo was actually in Puerto Rico celebrating his wife's birthday. He says it felt odd not being home to enjoy the atmosphere and everything that came with the playoff matchup.
This game has been circled on Garofalo's calendar for quite some time.
"This is kind of special for me, because I get to meet a lot of the out-of-towners that are going to visit the bar. There's a lot of excitement, it's here," Garofalo said in an interview with WBEN. "I feel like we always kind of have something to prove, being that it seems like it's always in Kansas City, aside from last year's playoff game. So I'm excited. It should be a fun one."
Despite the game taking place in Buffalo this year and the weather conditions expected to be very nice throughout the afternoon, Garofalo believes business at Casey's is going to be great.
"We had a huge influx of fans from Missouri, from Kansas, from all over that were Chiefs fans. Again, I missed it last year, but I saw it, and it was pretty rowdy here," Garofalo said. "Sales were good, I assume that to be the case [again], Bills and Chiefs fans alike. It should be good for us."
This year is the sixth season of football for Garofalo at Casey's Black Rock, and he says the crowd is always active some game day, no matter if it's Bills fans or Chiefs fans.
"I think Bills fans come here to spite the Chiefs thing, which I love, because we're super welcoming of them. And I feel like we owe a little bit of gratitude for them being very cool with all this Chiefs stuff here in Buffalo. But we definitely support the home team too," Garofalo emphasized. "This week's a little different. We're gonna have to lean a little to one side."
Looking ahead to Sunday, Garofalo knows this matchup will add another chapter to the rivalry between two football titans,
"[Josh] Allen, [Patrick] Mahomes, two guys that get after it. So I think this game means a lot to everyone, especially here," he said. "I know they want to beat us, I don't blame them. And we'd like to keep the undefeated streak intact."
Garofalo will admit, though, that the 9-0 start to the 2024 season in Kansas City has been way more stressful than it should be.
"Usually when you're 9-0, you're thinking you're going to run the table and win every game. I feel like every game is just a testament to their coaching staff, and their ability to just finish and close games really well. And that's Andy Reid, despite Mahomes not having his his best year, it's pretty apparent," Garofalo said.
So how is Garofalo feeling heading into Sunday's showdown with the Bills?
"I'll never pick against my boys, obviously, but again, this is a completely different animal," he admitted. "To be honest with you, the more we don't lose and go undefeated, the more it stresses me out. So I'm kind of eager for this game just to be over and done with. If I had the wherewithal to just hide in the closet and look at the box score afterwards, I would love to do that. But I'll be front-and-center, right here at Casey's watching the game. So we'll see. I feel good, I feel nervous. I'd be lying if I said I didn't."