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 Mahomes91裸聊视频� arm and his legs 91裸聊视频� 245 yards passing and a touchdown, two more scores rushing 91裸聊视频� and some key stops by the Kansas City defense that preserved a 32-29 victory over the Bills in the AFC championship game.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 just so hard to get to the Super Bowl and I don91裸聊视频檛 take it for granted, and to do it again at Arrowhead Stadium was special,91裸聊视频� Mahomes said. 91裸聊视频淵ou get that trophy on that stage and you look around here and there91裸聊视频檚 not an empty seat 91裸聊视频� it91裸聊视频檚 special.91裸聊视频�
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.
It91裸聊视频檚 the fourth time since January 2021 that the Chiefs have ended the Bills91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频� they were 4 of 5 on fourth downs at that point 91裸聊视频� 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.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e always said it: It91裸聊视频檚 not about one guy. It91裸聊视频檚 not about a couple guys. It91裸聊视频檚 about the whole entire team,91裸聊视频� Mahomes said. 91裸聊视频淲hen we needed the defense to get stops, they got stops. Offense, we made plays. That91裸聊视频檚 why we91裸聊视频檙e so special.91裸聊视频�
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.
91裸聊视频淓very one of these is so special,91裸聊视频� said Clark Hunt, whose father Lamar91裸聊视频檚 name adorns the AFC championship trophy. 91裸聊视频淲hat a game today. Travis, Patrick and their teammates always find a way to get it done. That was true this whole year. And it91裸聊视频檚 a credit to coach Reid and his amazing staff. Now we get to do something that91裸聊视频檚 never been done before.91裸聊视频�
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.
91裸聊视频淚 told them they91裸聊视频檝e got nothing to be ashamed of,91裸聊视频� Bills coach Sean McDermott said, 91裸聊视频渁nd I love them.91裸聊视频�
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 91裸聊视频� the AFC title game at Arrowhead Stadium 91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频� 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.
91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 football, you know. The loss hurts. That91裸聊视频檚 what makes this game what it is,91裸聊视频� Bills pass rusher Von Miller said. 91裸聊视频淲e did everything in our power to win. And just, you know, ran out of time.91裸聊视频�
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
