Christian Benford

ANALYSIS
Benford got off to a nice start with at least four tackles in each of the first five games of the regular season, but he failed to record more than three stops in each of his last nine games. He scored the first touchdown of his four-year NFL career with a scoop-and-score against the Steelers in Week 13, and he followed that up with a 63-yard pick-six one week later in a win against the Bengals. Benford has posted two interceptions in each of the last three years, and he'll continue to operate as a key piece in the Bills' secondary after signing a four-year, $72 million contract extension with Buffalo in March.

ANALYSIS
Benford's absence is one of several injury-related issues the Bills defense is dealing with going into the matchup against a quarterback in Patrick Mahomes who has bedeviled them in the postseason thus far in his career. In addition to being without Benford, who recorded 54 tackles, two interceptions, eight additional defensed passes and two forced fumbles across 15 regular-season games, Buffalo will also be managing the absence of key reserve safety Taylor Rapp due to a calf injury and has listed the cornerback duo of Taron Johnson and Rasul Douglas as questionable due to a concussion and a knee injury, respectively.