(Kansas City) Tyreek Hill and the Dolphins were unable to face the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in November as the NFL moved the matchup to Germany.
Hill and company will finally get that opportunity Saturday night in the first round of the playoffs.
The wide receiver will play in Kansas City for the first time since the Chiefs sent him to Miami in March 2022.
“We are competitors. He and I have the same thirst for victory, said Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who helped make Hill one of the stars of the league in his first six seasons.
“We’re friends in the off-season and all that, but on the field the goal is to win. »
The Chiefs will have the crowd’s support in their 14th straight playoff game – a streak that began in January 2017. Hill was completing his rookie season, while Mahomes had yet to take charge of one of the NFL’s most fearsome offenses .
With the Chiefs assured of a section title, Mahomes and other regulars got a reprieve in the final game of the regular season.
Among the Dolphins, injuries led coach Mike McDaniel to compensate for the absences on defense, particularly in positions putting pressure on the quarterback.
Losses to Baltimore and Buffalo deprived the Dolphins of the chance to play in Florida this weekend, rather than face the harsh weather of Missouri.
Miami has lost its last 10 games where it was five degrees or colder on kickoff.
“The team will be ultra-motivated and ready to face the conditions,” said McDaniel. It’s going to be a challenge on many levels, but we have confidence in each other. We want to get rid of the bad taste of defeat. This is our only goal. »
For the first time in 30 years, the NFL’s most productive offense was the Dolphins (over 400 yards per game, on average).
The Chiefs have dropped the most passes in the NFL this season (44), but they have compensated by holding the opponent to 20 points or less 13 of 17 times. Only the Baltimore Ravens have given up fewer points (280, vs. 294 for the Chiefs).
In November in Frankfurt, the Chiefs defeated the Dolphins 21-14.
“Past results don’t mean anything. It has absolutely no impact on what’s going to happen,” said Chiefs safety Justin Reid. The best team will win. »