Travis Kelce insists Bills Mafia in the Buffalo cold will NOT intimidate him as he gets set for huge Chiefs game: ‘I grew up in Cleveland man, they were throwing beer bottles at people!’

Travis Kelce has issued a rallying cry to his Chiefs teammates ahead of Sunday’s AFC Divisional round game, insisting that playing in front of Bills fans in frigid Buffalo “doesn’t get any better,” nor does it intimidate him .

The 34-year-old tight end, who warned Sunday’s opponents that they are facing a “very different” Kansas City team than the one they defeated at Arrowhead Stadium in December, also denied reports that his older brother and Eagles center, Jason, had told teammates of his decision to retire after Philadelphia’s wild-card loss to Tampa Bay on Monday.

Asked if he’s ready to play in a potentially hostile atmosphere this weekend at Highmark Stadium, which is covered in several feet of snow, Kelce said Friday, “It’s Bills Mafia, man.” That’s their home field advantage. I’m sure the guys love playing in front of that fan base.

“I grew up in Cleveland,” he added, referring to the petty rivalry between the Browns – his hometown team – and the Bills due to both cities’ location on the Great Lakes, with Buffalo going 9-12 all-time in the competition. regular season against the AFC North club. “They were throwing beer bottles at people, so…

When asked about the possibility of a sellout crowd in Buffalo in less than 48 hours, the two-time Super Bowl champion responded, “That’s a hostile environment, right?

Bills fans showed up in droves for their wild-card win against the Steelers, despite cold conditions

“Ready to get after it, man, ready to get after it,” he said later about his feelings and physical preparation for the Chiefs’ second-round playoff game this season. “Buffalo, cold, playoff game, it doesn’t get any better, honey.”

As confident as he may seem, two days before Kansas City’s third playoff game against Buffalo in the last four years, Kelce stressed the importance of staying focused while the Chiefs are still in the postseason race to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. on February 11.

Kelce and his teammates entered the Chiefs’ playoff campaign ranked No. 3 in the AFC standings – an unusual position for a team accustomed to dominating the league and having won two Super Bowls titles since 2019 – because they regular season finish behind. the Bills (No. 2) and Baltimore Ravens (No. 1).

“Instead of it being a road game because everyone is playing on the road, I think in the playoffs it’s more the case, we’re just going a step further than last weekend’s wild card weekend,” Kelce said.

“It accelerates as you get further into the playoffs and I think it’s more important to stay focused, understand your assignments a little bit better so you can go out and play as quickly as possible.”

Kelce and Co. faced Buffalo in the postseason for the third time in the past four seasons

Although both teams had the same record in the regular season, Buffalo won the tiebreaker – and the right to host – with their 20-17 victory in Kansas City last month. That was the first of six straight wins for the Bills, including Monday’s wild-card round win over Pittsburgh.

No snow is forecast, although cold temperatures are, which shouldn’t affect either team. The Bills are used to the cold, while the Chiefs defeated visiting Miami last weekend with a game temperature of -4 Fahrenheit (minus -20 degrees Celsius) and wind chills that made it feel 20 degrees colder.

‘They are at the top of the mountain. They know what it takes to get there. We still have to do that,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen, whose lone AFC championship game ended in a 38-24 loss to Kansas City, said of the Chiefs.

“As a competitor, being in that situation is something you dream about.”