NFL Playoffs: Chiefs clinch battle with the Bills that will go down in history books!
Kansas City, Missouri - The Kansas City Chiefs back in the AFC Championship Game after surviving Sunday night’s playoff rematch against the Buffalo Bills.
The Chiefs beat the Bills 42-36 in overtime to once again claim a spot in this Sunday’s AFC Championship Game It's their fourth-straight conference title game at home, which is now an NFL record.
This was the matchup that the rest of the league was waiting for and it didn’t disappoint as both teams came out throwing for touchdowns during the first half.
They went into halftime tied at 14-14 after a crucial 50-yard field goal by the Chiefs was missed.
Kansas City came out in the second half with 10 straight points, building a nine-point lead in the third as it looked like the Chiefs were about to pull away for good.
But the Bills were definitely not done, responding with a touchdown to pull within two going into the fourth quarter.
The Chiefs then extended their lead to five, but back came the Bills again. A flurry of offense by both teams in the fourth included three lead changes before Kansas City marched down the field with 13 seconds left for a game-tying 49-yard kick to send things into overtime.
The first team to score a touchdown in overtime was always going to win and once the Chiefs won the coin toss, they took the ball 75 yards down the field for a mammoth touchdown pass and a spot in next weekend’s title game.
The player spotlight
In a wild game that was overflowing with offensive efforts, it was Chiefs quarterback Pat Mahomes (26) that made some big plays to put his team just past the Bills.
On the stats sheet, Mahomes was outdone by Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who had more touchdowns and a higher passer rating.
But the Kansas City QB had the last laugh as his final throw in the game proved to be the winning one with an eight-yard touchdown pass in overtime.
Mahomes finished the game with 33-44 passing, 378 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions along with seven carries for 69 yards and a rushing touchdown.
The big picture
It's no wonder people were asking whether those last two minutes were "the greatest in NFL history." KC and Buffalo came together for the definition of grandstand finale, scoring 25 points in those 180 seconds, the most in league playoff history.
That's not where the startling stats end. Both starting quarterbacks threw for over 300 yards, completed at least 70% of their pass attempts, led their teams in rushing, and didn’t commit a turnover, something that’s never been done in a postseason game.
What's more, Bills wide receiver Gabriel Davis caught 201 yards of passing for four touchdowns, both NFL records.
But in the end, it was the Chiefs that survived a battle for the ages. After getting taken to the limit – and probably past it – Kansas City’s one game away from the Super Bowl and looking like they can take anything that’s thrown at them.
The Chiefs will host the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday afternoon.
Cover photo: imago/Icon SMI