3 takeaways from the Chiefs’ 32-29 win over the Bills in the AFC Championship

The Chiefs are the first team in league history who will play in the Super Bowl with a “three-peat” on the line.

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills 32-29, winning the AFC Championship for the third straight season. They will now face the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.

For now, here are some initial takeaways from what we saw Sunday night:

All the Chiefs and Bills do is play classics — and that dastardly trend between these two teams continued.

Result aside, the Chiefs and Bills produce instant classics, whether in a regular-season game or with a trip to the Super Bowl in the balance.

Many believed these teams were so evenly matched that the first turnover would decide the outcome, yet the Chiefs overcame that early mistake to prevail. For what it’s worth, the Bills fumbled four times in the game but managed to recover the ball on every occasion.

Buffalo took advantage of that first turnover to score a touchdown and take the lead, the second of five lead changes in the game. The NFL begins with quarterback play, and both Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Bills quarterback Josh Allen repeatedly put their team in positions to win throughout the evening.

Mahomes and Allen are among the greats, but the results of close matchups like this will ultimately determine their legacy. They have now split their last eight matchups, but that dastardly trend continues.

Buffalo owns the regular season but simply cannot find a way in the playoffs.

Especially in the postseason, Patrick Mahomes wills his team to victory.

Mahomes' AFC Championship effort looked a lot more like what we’re used to seeing from him than what took place in the Divisional round.

In the Divisional round, tight end Travis Kelce dominated the production. But on Sunday, Mahomes hit eight different pass-catchers as part of a 245-yard day. We know the quarterback can run, but the playoffs seem to bring out the best from him in that department.

Early in the second quarter, with the Chiefs facing third down at the goal line, Mahomes scanned the end zone before identifying enough room to take it himself. In the fourth quarter (and now trailing), he followed his blocks and would not be denied as he ran it in for a 12-yard touchdown.

On Friday, rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy told reporters this game would mean more, dating back to Day 1 of the NFL Draft, when the Bills traded out of position to select him. Mahomes fed him throughout the game, and he led the team with six receptions for 85 yards and a score. Running back Kareem Hunt kept the offense moving on the ground.

The defense struggled at times but stood tall in the end (twice) — but what looms ahead may be its greatest challenge yet.

Kansas City’s defense had a nice start to the game before falling apart a bit at the end of...