The Kansas City Chiefs are headed back to the AFC championship game.
The Chiefs, thanks to a missed Buffalo field goal late, edged out a close 27-24 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night at Highmark Stadium. The victory sends them to the conference championship game for a sixth straight season.
After a perfect back-and-forth game in the latest installment of the Patrick Mahomes-Josh Allen battle, Allen led the Bills down the field and into scoring position just inside the two-minute warning. Then Tyler Bass missed a 44-yard field goal, which would have tied the game, just wide right.
With that, Mahomes and the Chiefs hung on to grab the three-point win and seal yet another trip to the AFC title game.
These two teams squared off in the playoffs 2021 and 2022, and both were losses for the Bills, one in the AFC championship game and one in the divisional round. The Bills were the home team with a trip to the AFC championship on the line this time, but it ultimately didn’t make the difference.
The Chiefs advance to take on the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens next week at M&T Bank Stadium with a return trip to Super Bowl LVIII in their sights.
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Wide right. Again. Gutting for the Bills. All of these missed opportunities are piling up for them. That window doesn’t stay open forever. https://t.co/85IX6SZJc9
Wide right. The Bills missed a 44-yarder, and the Chiefs should win it
The Bills are still moving late in the 4th quarter.
Josh Allen with another massive shot after the Bills got the ball back. This would’ve been huge
Khalil Shakir questionable to return with shoulder injury, per @tracywolfson. Shakir leads Bills with 34 receiving yards & TD, including 2 somehow-didn’t-hit-the-ground grabs
Well, the Bills can’t get anything going and miss a long shot. They have to punt, and the Chiefs get the ball right back.
Here’s a better angle and an explanation from the CBS crew.
Oh boy. The Chiefs fumbled out of the end zone, and the Bills recover after a challenge. What a break for Buffalo
We have a stop. After five straight touchdown drives not including an end-of-half kneel-down, the Chiefs defense stops the Bills. Buffalo goes for it on fourth-and-5 at its own 30 with a fake punt and fails. Big gamble backfires and gives Kansas City the ball already in field goal range.
Isaiah Pacheco pays off the big pass gains with a grind of a four-yard touchdown run to get the lead back for the Chiefs, 27-24. That’s now five lead changes.
Patrick Mahomes finds Marquez Valdes-Scantling on another deep ball, this time for 32 yards to drive into the red zone. Kansas City’s threatening again at the end of the third quarter with Buffalo leading 24-20.
It was a sloppy end zone trip for the Bills, but they found the end zone. Burned a timeout, then took a delay of game to set up third-and-goal at the 13. But Josh Allen found Khalil Shakir in the front left corner of the end zone in a tight window after buying time with his feet.
Fourth lead change of the game puts Buffalo up, 24-20. This one’s living up to the hype.
Travis Kelce scores his second touchdown of the night, and the Chiefs are back on top, 20-17.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling caught it this time, and it was a doozy. Chiefs are driving on the opening drive of the second half.
Chiefs linebacker Willie game is out of the game with a neck injury.
Josh Allen and Travis Kelce shared some words on the way to their separate locker rooms:
And we’ve reached halftime. Competitive game with Buffalo leading, 17-13.
The Bills get in close and do the only thing that makes sense. They let Josh Allen run it in. Allen’s second touchdown comes from two yards and gives the Bills a 17-13 lead just before halftime.
The Bills are driving again. An 18-yard Josh Allen scramble has them in the red zone late in the second quarter.
Jason Kelce’s in the house and he’s here for it.
Travis Kelce breaks wide open in the Bills secondary and hauls in a 22-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes. Chiefs lead 13-10 on a breakdown for the Bills defense.
Linebacker Tyrel Dodson is back on the field for the Bills.
Chiefs get a stop. Force the first punt of the game and take over at their own 36 with 6:07 remaining before halftime.
Chiefs fail to find end zone on three plays from the Buffalo 10-yard line. Settle for another Harrison Butker field goal to cut deficit to 10-6
The Chiefs are driving and getting Travis Kelce involved. In the red zone now.
Now Bills linebacker Tyrell Dodson is hurt. Limped off the field to the blue sideline tent.
Chiefs down a defender, rule out starting safety Mike Edwards:
Buffalo’s second drive finds the end zone. Josh Allen runs it in from five yards for a 10-3 Bills lead. Bills are bullying the Chiefs defense on the ground with 94 rushing yards on two possession
The first quarter’s done with a field goal for each team and a 3-3 tie. Buffalo’s driving again and approaching the red zone. Bills dominated the time of possession with 11:27 of ball control.
Kansas City’s first drive stalls in Bills territory. Justin Watson can’t hold on to a third-down pass from Patrick Mahomes, and the Chiefs settle for a field-goal attempt. Harrison Butker converts from 47 yards, and the Chiefs tie the game at 3-3.
Bills strike first, but don’t find the end zone. Tyler Bass puts Buffalo on the board with a 27-yard field goal for an early 3-0 lead.
Wild start. Buffalo sets up a fourth-and-1 on a Josh Allen lateral past the line of scrimmage to Tyler Johnson on third down. Allen then powers through on a fourth-and-1 gamble for a first down. It was close to a forward pass, but officials called it a lateral, and the Chiefs didn’t challenge.
The Chiefs won the toss and deferred. Buffalo will have the ball first at home. Here we go.
Jason Kelce’s here to support his brother Travis and the Chiefs, but more than happy to join a Bills tailgate:
Jason Kelce is getting the full Bills experience this afternoon.
