Chiefs top Bills 32-29 in AFC championship game, advance to Super Bowl LIX
By Faith Pinnow
As confetti fell over Arrowhead Stadium Sunday night, it was hard not to get deja vu. The Kansas City Chiefs, again, are Super Bowl-bound after securing a 32-29 win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC title match.
For the fourth time since Jan. 2021, the Bills’ path to the Big Game was blocked by Patrick Mahomes & Co. The quarterback put on a masterclass in front of the home crowd – throwing for 245 yards, a touchdown, and adding two more rushing.
“It’s just so hard to get to the Super Bowl and I don’t take it for granted, and to do it again at Arrowhead Stadium was special,” Mahomes said following the win.
Mahomes remained unfazed despite a Bills comeback late in the third quarter to tie the game at 29 points. Methodically marching the ball down the field, he set up Harrison Butker’s go-ahead field goal with 3:33 on the clock.
“I’ve always said it: It’s not about one guy. It’s not about a couple guys. It’s about the whole entire team,” Mahomes said. “When we needed the defense to get stops, they got stops. Offense, we made plays. That’s why we’re so special.”
On the other side of the ball, the ability to stall Allen’s run game and apply crucial pressure in the pocket was paramount to a win. Just after the two-minute warning, on a crucial fourth-and-5, the Chiefs defense forced Allen to launch a deep ball down the center of the field to Dalton Kincaid. The pass fell just short, resulting in a turnover to end the Bills’ 13-4 season.
The genius corner blitz, crafted by Kansas City’s Steve Spagnuolo, hammered home the team’s “no guts, no glory,” identity. Chris Jones praised his coach, attributing his squad’s dominance to the gutsy play-calling.
“For me, he’s one of the greatest assistant coaches to ever coach the game. You look at his resume, he’s got one of the greatest resumes. He finds a way to close. That’s what Spags does,” the three-time All-pro defensive tackle said.
Holding Allen to just 237 yards and two scores, while containing James Cook – who added another two touchdowns – was no easy feat. But after losing to the Bills four times in the regular season, the Chiefs had their number.
And when duty called, Kansas City answered.
The Kansas City Chiefs become just the fourth team in NFL history to reach three consecutive Super Bowls. With their eye on a three-peat victory, the Chiefs head to New Orleans to face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9.