Buffalo Bills left lineman Dion Dawkins wished Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes ‘good luck’ before their highly anticipated playoff clash this weekend.
Dawkins made his remarks while telling reporters that he feels Mahomes’ performance in a fully packed Highmark Stadium for the first time ever will give the Bills an advantage in their most recent playoff game.
‘[Mahomes has] only come here once. So, he has never been here. “It’s as simple as that,” left tackle Dion Dawkins said. ‘Pat has never visited the Bills’ stadium in full. The environment will be different, and while this is not necessarily in our favor, the stadium is. Stadium represents us.
‘That helps us. I don’t care what others say. This is the most awesome feeling I’ve ever experienced. We’re playing two consecutive playoff games at home. Come on, like we can leave and go eat wings. That’s cool. So, good luck.
The Chiefs’ sole other visit to Buffalo during Mahomes’ tenure was during the 2020 regular season, when no fans were permitted to attend due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Buffalo has a 14-2 record in home playoff games dating back to 1970.
That is the league’s best home playoff record for any team that has played at least five of these games.
Dawkins was not the only Bills player to express excitement about the benefits of playing in front of their home crowd during such an exciting game.
‘It’s great to have the crowd behind you. I believe tiny details, like not needing to use silent cadences, are always beneficial,’ said Bills center Mitch Morse, who previously played for the Chiefs.
‘I believe that having this home field advantage, especially after such a short week, is quite beneficial. But we also know that in the playoffs, these teams that have advanced this far are accustomed to adversity and tough situations.