Everything looked oh-so familiar at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday night: Patrick Mahomes hoisting the AFC championship trophy as confetti rained down, Andy Reid hugging Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, and Travis Kelce kissing , grabbing the mic and imploring fans to once more party the night away.
The two-time defending Super Bowl champions had earned a chance at an unprecedented three-peat.
And once again, they had brushed aside the Buffalo Bills on the way.
This time, it was MahomesB次元官网网址� arm and his legs B次元官网网址� 245 yards passing and a touchdown, two more scores rushing B次元官网网址� and some key stops by the Kansas City defense that preserved a 32-29 victory over the Bills in the AFC championship game.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just so hard to get to the Super Bowl and I donB次元官网网址檛 take it for granted, and to do it again at Arrowhead Stadium was special,B次元官网网址� Mahomes said. B次元官网网址淵ou get that trophy on that stage and you look around here and thereB次元官网网址檚 not an empty seat B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 special.B次元官网网址�
The Chiefs will get a familiar foe in the big game in the Eagles, whom they beat two years ago for the title. Philadelphia romped to over the Commanders earlier Sunday to earn a shot at the champs on Feb. 9 in New Orleans.
ItB次元官网网址檚 the fourth time since January 2021 that the Chiefs have ended the BillsB次元官网网址� season in the playoffs. And like all the rest, it came after a heavyweight fight between two of the top teams in the AFC, one that was tied 29-all after Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen in the back of the end zone to set up a little more drama in the conference championship game.
Mahomes was simply unflappable, though. He completed four consecutive passes on the ensuing possession, setting up with 3:33 left, and put the Bills in another do-or-die situation in Kansas City.
Allen got their drive going by running for a first down, but his next two throws were batted at the line of scrimmage. He hit Amari Cooper for a short gain on third down, and the Bills chose to go for it B次元官网网址� they were 4 of 5 on fourth downs at that point B次元官网网址� and the Kansas City blitz that Dalton Kincaid was unable to corral deep downfield.
The Chiefs took over, picked up a couple of first downs and began to celebrate once again.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e always said it: ItB次元官网网址檚 not about one guy. ItB次元官网网址檚 not about a couple guys. ItB次元官网网址檚 about the whole entire team,B次元官网网址� Mahomes said. B次元官网网址淲hen we needed the defense to get stops, they got stops. Offense, we made plays. ThatB次元官网网址檚 why weB次元官网网址檙e so special.B次元官网网址�
Kareem Hunt had a touchdown run and Xavier Worthy had six catches for 85 yards and a score for Kansas City, which became just the fourth franchise to reach at least three consecutive Super Bowls with its ninth consecutive playoff victory.
B次元官网网址淓very one of these is so special,B次元官网网址� said Clark Hunt, whose father LamarB次元官网网址檚 name adorns the AFC championship trophy. B次元官网网址淲hat a game today. Travis, Patrick and their teammates always find a way to get it done. That was true this whole year. And itB次元官网网址檚 a credit to coach Reid and his amazing staff. Now we get to do something thatB次元官网网址檚 never been done before.B次元官网网址�
Allen threw for 237 yards and two scores for Buffalo, while James Cook ran for 85 yards and two touchdowns of his own.
Yet the Bills still have not been to the Super Bowl since a run of four straight during the 1990-93 seasons.
B次元官网网址淚 told them theyB次元官网网址檝e got nothing to be ashamed of,B次元官网网址� Bills coach Sean McDermott said, B次元官网网址渁nd I love them.B次元官网网址�
The Bills and Chiefs have become well acquainted over the years, meeting eight times now since Kansas City beat Buffalo under the exact same circumstances B次元官网网址� the AFC title game at Arrowhead Stadium B次元官网网址� to reach the Super Bowl in January 2021.
Buffalo has won all four games in the regular season. Kansas City has won the four that mattered in the postseason.
All of that familiarity, along with the fact that McDermott once worked for Reid, was evident as the game transpired. The Bills refused to let Kelce beat them, like he did against the Texans in the divisional round, while Kansas City did everything it could to keep Allen from beating him with his legs B次元官网网址� or his arm, for that matter.
It was the Chiefs who took a 21-16 lead into the locker room after a topsy-turvy first half.
Mahomes and Kareem Hunt ran for scores and Worthy had a touchdown reception as the teams traded the lead. Cook reached the end zone for Buffalo, and a spectacular touchdown catch by Mack Hollins just before halftime kept the Bills in the game.
It remained a game of inches in the second half: Cook barely reached across the goal line for a touchdown, the Chiefs stopped Allen inches shy of the marker on fourth down, Mahomes bulldozed into the end zone for a score, and the Bills answered with a 70-yard drive in which their MVP-candidate quarterback hit Samuel on fourth-and-goal to tie the game at 29-all.
Fifty-three minutes and 45 seconds had been rendered moot. Everything came down to the last 6:15 of the game.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 football, you know. The loss hurts. ThatB次元官网网址檚 what makes this game what it is,B次元官网网址� Bills pass rusher Von Miller said. B次元官网网址淲e did everything in our power to win. And just, you know, ran out of time.B次元官网网址�
Injuries
Bills cornerback Christian Benford was carted off in the first quarter and declared out with a concussion. He had spent the week in the concussion protocol before getting cleared to play Sunday.
Up next
The Chiefs are headed to the Big Easy to face the Eagles in the Super Bowl for the second time in three years. In the first game, they rallied from a 24-14 halftime deficit with Butker hitting a 27-yard field goal for the 38-35 win.
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AP NFL:
Dave Skretta, The Associated Press
