Arrowhead Pride
Kansas City is headed for New Orleans — and maybe a date with history.
The Kansas City Chiefs are headed to their third consecutive Super Bowl appearance following a 32-29 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Sunday’s AFC Championship on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs will now face the NFC’s Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday, February 9.
The Chiefs won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. The AFC Championship began with a Harrison Butker touchback to start the Bills at their own 30-yard line. Quarterback Josh Allen started with a four-yard run before nearly throwing interceptions on the next to plays. The Chiefs did not get the turnover, but they held the Bills to a three-and-out. Nikko Remigio called for a fair catch of Sam Martin’s punt to start the Chiefs at their own ten-yard line.
Patrick Mahomes was complete on his first to throws to wideout Hollywood Brown to quickly gain 19 yards. On second-and-1 from the 29-yard line, Mahomes scrambled for four yards to move the chains. After rookie Xavier Worthy caught a ten-yard pass, Isiah Pacheco took the game’s first called run for three-yards. On the next play, Mahomes found JuJu Smith-Schuster on the run for a 32-yard gain to the Bill’s 23-yard line. Kareem Hunt then came on the field to churn ten hard-earned yards over the next two plays to set up a first down at the 12. The veteran then rumbled for the remaining dozen yards for a touchdown. Butker’s extra point sealed a 7-0 lead for the Chiefs.
The Bills again started at the 30 after another touchback, but an illegal formation foul would ultimately start them five yards further back. Tight end Dalton Kincaid caught a pass for 11 yards on first-and-15. After running back Ty Johnson gained only a yard, Allen found wide receiver Khalil Shakir for a first down gain to the Bills 49-yard line. Allen was incomplete deep on first down under heavy pressure from George Karlaftis before a nine-yard throw to Amari Cooer and a sneak by Allen set up first-and-10 at the Kansas City 40. James Cook gained five yards, but most of that was lost as Allen fumbled the snap on second down. On third-and-9 from the Chiefs’ 39-yard line, Allen’s pass to Shakir gained only four yards. Kicker Tyler Bass came on for a successful 53-yard field goal to trim Kansas City’s lead to 7-3.
Remigio returned the kickoff to the 35-yard line to start the drive. Mahomes was incomplete deep to Brown on first down, but picked up 12 yards on a scramble on the next play. On first-and-10 from the 44-yard line, Worthy gained eight yards on a rush. After an injury timeout, an offsides penalty on Buffalo moved the drive to the 43-yard line, the Chiefs appeared to be moving with a 12-yard rush by Hunt and an eight-yard pass to Worthy. Mahomes...
