FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots should be heavy favorites against whichever team visits Gillette Stadium on Jan. 13 in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs: the Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans or Buffalo Bills.
In that sense, the Patriots’ most challenging opponents will be themselves. If the AFC top-seeded team plays the way it's capable of playing, it can beat anyone.
But if the Patriots don’t bring their top performance, they can also lose to anyone, as evidenced by their Dec. 11 defeat to the Miami Dolphins.
With that as the springboard, let’s play the pros/cons game with each possible opponent (pros of facing/cons of facing):
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Pros: They traditionally aren’t a good playoff team, with a .346 win percentage, second-worst in NFL history. ... They are one of the NFL’s worst red zone teams, ranking 29th in touchdown percentage (21 TDs in 50 trips), which is easily the worst mark by any of this season's playoff teams. ... Safety Eric Berry, who played tight end Rob Gronkowski tough in the 2017 opener, is on injured reserve. ... They rank last in the NFL in first downs allowed per game, so teams can control the ball against them (as long as they can get off the field on third down themselves).
Cons: They had the fewest turnovers in the NFL (11), with a plus-15 turnover differential that was the league’s second-best mark. They don't often beat themselves. ... After thumping the Patriots 42-27 in the opener at Gillette Stadium, they wouldn’t be intimidated by the setting. ... Head coach Andy Reid is the type of experienced strategist who could, as he did in the opener, hit at the Patriots’ vulnerabilities on defense. ... With rookie Kareem Hunt, who led the NFL with 1,327 rushing yards, the Chiefs rank first in the NFL in average yards per carry. ... Hunt, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce make a tough trio to handle.
TENNESSEE TITANS
Pros: They have the worst turnover differential of any playoff team (minus-4). ... A team based in the South coming to Foxborough on what could be a frigid mid-January night favors the home club. ... The Titans rank 25th in the NFL on third down, an area in which the Patriots’ D has been inconsistent this season. ... Quarterback Marcus Mariota has thrown 11 interceptions on the road this season (tied for most in the NFL).
Cons: Their defense, with former Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan, is a strength, as they have played tough against the run (ranking fourth in opponents’ average yards per carry) and on third down (No. 8 ranking). ... DeMarco Murray, Derrick Henry and Mariota would challenge a run defense that ranks 31st in average yards per rush. ... The Titans totaled 43 sacks, tied for fifth in the NFL.
BUFFALO BILLS
Pros: Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has a career record of 28-3 against them. ... They rank 22nd in the NFL in points scored, the lowest total of any playoff team. ... The Bills reached the playoffs despite being outscored by 57 points during the regular season, the fifth-worst point differential by a playoff team in the Super Bowl era.
Cons: Playing a team for a third time in a season is a different dynamic. The Patriots experienced it in the 2010 season, when they lost to the Jets 28-21 in the divisional round after splitting with them during the regular season (one of the victories was a 45-3 decision six weeks prior to the playoff game).