Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is all set for the battle against Josh Allen and his team. But he also must prepare himself for an unfamiliar threat when he faces the Buffalo Bills in Week 9. This is his 10th clash against Allen after their first in 2020, but it’s his first encounter with the Bills’ enthusiastic rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston.

The CB has a very clear vision for the Week 9 game, and his target is the Chiefs’ QB. “The opportunity to be able to pick up Patrick Mahomes,” he told the reporters. “That’s all I’m looking forward to. Just going out there, and like I said, just not making it bigger than what it is. Just go out there and play ball.”

The Kentucky product’s strong message is an indication that he isn’t downplaying the upcoming matchup against one of the league’s elite quarterbacks. That’s even more surprising, considering the rookie had his eyes on the 6x Pro Bowler long before he entered the NFL.

For context, that happened when, before being drafted by the Bills, he was asked by Andrew Whitelaw which quarterback he couldn’t wait to intercept in the league. His answer came without hesitation. He said, “Pat Mahomes.”

It’s interesting how he hasn’t forgotten his mission after his LCL sprain injury in training camp that sidelined him for 7 games. If anything, that may have only fueled his desire even more to face Mahomes soon. He started the season on Injured reserve and made his debut in the game against the Carolina Panthers, and had decent snaps on the field for 27 of the team’s 61 defensive snaps (44%).

It’s unclear how many snaps he’ll get against the Chiefs, but given his performances in college days and impressive NFL Combine showing, this encounter, even if brief, could be an intriguing one.

Across his last three seasons in Kentucky, he picked off six passes, and also forced three fumbles, broke up 10 passes, and racked up 89 tackles with a couple of tackles for loss and a sack.

Apart from that, the energy isn’t much different on the Chiefs’ side as well, with tight end Travis Kelce determined to fix his one past mistake.

Travis Kelce is upset over Patrick Mahomes’ interception

The Chiefs have finally started to look like their old dominant selves, winning five of their last six games. Tight end Kelce has been a key part of those efforts. In the 28-7 victory over the Washington Commanders, Kelce made a milestone record, racking up 100 total touchdowns in his career, combining regular-season and playoff scores.

However, despite the win, Kelce has been frustrated over a missed connection with Mahomes that resulted in an interception by linebacker Bobby Wagner.

“I’ve got to stop f—— handing the God- other team the ball, man,” he told his brother Jason Kelce on the New Heights podcast. “F- That’s the thing, everyone’s like, ‘You made up for it. You had 99 more yards.’ And I’m like, ‘No, that doesn’t take away from the fact that I turned the ball over.'”

It’s not the first time he’s had such a moment. He previously drew heavy criticism for a dropped pass in the game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

With 83 regular-season touchdowns, Kelce has now tied NFL legend Priest Holmes as the Chiefs’ all-time touchdown leader. But as of now, his attention is on how to elevate the Chiefs’ scoring game.