Chiefs Remain On Road To A Three-Peat With AFC Championship Game Victory Over Bills

This is what happens when Superman meets Superman – when Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes decide which will have the last word about going to the Super Bowl.

The last word this night belongs to Mahomes. 

And the Chiefs.

And their continued path to a three-peat championship attempt that will be ultimately decided in Super Bowl LIX against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Super Bowl Rematch With Eagles

That will be a rematch of the Super Bowl two years ago.

Whatever the outcome of that game, it's fine. Because this was the game the NFL wanted. Needed.

Chiefs 32.

Bills 29.

"What a great game for the National Football League and the Kansas City Chiefs," coach Andy Reid said.

Both Allen and Mahomes dueled to the end. And it wasn't until an Allen desperation pass while under pressure was not caught by tight end Dalton Kincaid that it was mostly settled.

Otherwise, this was about Allen running and Mahomes matching his scrambles. Both Mahomes and Allen, gifted passers, ran the ball 11 times because that's how it is in tight games. Guys try to do extraordinary things. 

This was about Mahomes completing big passes including a third-and-9 pass from the Buffalo 35 for 17 yards with under 2 minutes to play. That was the dagger. The end.

Chiefs And Bills Trade Punches

The rest was about kneeling and accepting victory for the Chiefs.

Earlier Sunday the Philadelphia Eagles dismantled the upstart Washington Commanders. And that was good but it wasn't necessarily dramatic for fans without a rooting or financial interest.

This was different. This was back-and-forth, electric, and at times controversial.

The controversy, by the way, happened early in the fourth quarter when the Bills attempted a fourth-down tush push and one official ran in from the sideline with an apparent first down mark and the other ran in from the other sideline with a mark for no gain.

The play was replayed and the call favoring the Chiefs prevailed. Kansas City took over at their own 41 yard line and drove for a go-ahead touchdown. 

And now a little something about the Bills:

There's going to be some second-guessing in Western New York. Or there should be.

Allen did not throw the ball past the line of scrimmage in the third quarter. The Bills did, however, ask him to become their fullback.

Offensive coordinator Joe Brady put Allen in the tush push play a handful of times. And twice it failed on two-point conversions. And other times it came with success followed by bitter failure.

The Super Bowl Before The Super Bowl

It felt at times like this was the Super Bowl before the actual game. That the survivor of this game would be the eventual champion. We'll see about that.

But it's hard to argue against the idea the Bills and Chiefs put on a Super Bowl-worthy display.

The Chiefs, who had won 11 of 11 one-score matchups this season, added another.

And the Bills erased a Kansas City lead twice including in the third quarter. But the Chiefs rallied and a Harrison Butker 35 yard field goal was the winning margin..

So, yes, drama befitting champions.

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Familiar Pain For The Bills

This game reminded of the 42-36 overtime game these two teams played in January of 2022 without the final 13 seconds turning into a Bills nightmare.

The nightmare came earlier for the Bills.

And it will haunt for some time because the Chiefs are the obstacle the Bills can overcome in the regular season. But not the postseason.

The Chiefs have eliminated the Bills from the playoffs four times since 2020.

There's a reason they've put themselves in position to win three consecutive Super Bowls. They got there, often by stepping over the Bills.