It wasn’t always pretty, but the Kansas City Chiefs found their groove offensively, and the defense, which was manhandled for three quarters, came alive just in time to save the day in the fourth quarter. After a missed field goal, the Chiefs ran out the clock on the Bills 27-24.
The Kansas City Chiefs will play in their sixth straight AFC Championship Game next Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. By defeating the Buffalo Bills 27-24, the Kansas City Chiefs had to play one of their best games. For the second consecutive week, Patrick Mahomes was outstanding. He threw a pair of touchdowns to Travis Kelce, and outside of the Hardman fumble, they only punted once in the game.
This game came down to mistakes, and the Chiefs made less of them. The missed field goal by Tyler Bass, after the two-minute timeout, sealed the win. Kansas City should have extended their lead after a failed fake punt by the Bills, but a Mecole Hardman fumble in the end zone put the game’s outcome in doubt.
After that play, the Bills had three possessions, but Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo stacked the box, shut down the run, and forced Allen to make plays. In the end, he could not make them. This was Allen’s best chance to defeat the Chiefs in the postseason, but ultimately, he failed.
The Chiefs were the better team and had the better quarterback. They also had the experience of playing a close game in the postseason. Still, it was players like Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who had a big 28-yard run in the third quarter, and Marquez Valdez-Scantling, who had two big catches, including one for 32 yards and another for 30 yards.
If Mahomes can count on MVS and Kadarius Toney can get on the field Sunday at Baltimore, that could give him another option for the Ravens to be concerned about. While they have a terrific front seven, their secondary is average at best.
Still, if you’re a Chiefs fan, you have to love the composure of this football team that never panicked when it could have quickly after the Hardman fumble and the loss of Guard Joe Thuney with a pectoral injury. Though they didn’t score again, they salted a win with a big first down to seal the win on the game’s final drive. The defense made the adjustments, and the Bills had no answers.
The Chiefs spent all week hearing from NFL pundits that they weren’t as good as the Bills and could only win at Arrowhead in the playoffs. They felt Mahomes didn’t have the receivers to defeat the Bills; despite their injuries in the secondary, they thought they could scheme their defense, and Mahomes picked them apart.
The offensive line was solid, and they played one of their better games. Mahomes wasn’t sacked in the win, and for the most part, he could stay in the pocket under some duress.
So, we learned Sunday that the Chiefs are still the team to beat in the NFL, and the Ravens will get a chance, like the Bills, to dethrone Mahomes. It won’t be easy because Baltimore has some great players exceeding expectations this season.
The Chiefs will revel in the win tonight, but come Monday morning, they are one win away from going to back-to-back Super Bowls.
