KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Historical past awaits within the Large Straightforward.
Buckle up Bourbon Road. The Chiefs are comin’ to city.
Kansas Metropolis vanquished the Payments but once more within the postseason, surviving 32-29 in an absolute thriller within the AFC Championship recreation on Sunday night time at GEHA Area at Arrowhead Stadium.
However that’s burying the lede.
The win sends the Chiefs to Tremendous Bowl LIX in New Orleans, the place they’ll play the Eagles with an opportunity to win an unprecedented third consecutive Lombardi Trophy.
No staff — not even the dynastic New England Patriots and Tom Brady — has received three consecutive Tremendous Bowls.
Now Kansas Metropolis, with magician quarterback Patrick Mahomes and lovable head coach Andy Reid, have an opportunity to outdo the exceptional issues the Patriots and Brady and Invoice Belichick did once they owned the NFL.
The Chiefs had been enjoying of their seventh consecutive convention championship recreation on Sunday night time. Solely New England has performed extra in a row, with eight.
The Chiefs undoubtedly will take care of that milestone subsequent yr. There’s historical past to make in the mean time.
Extremely, as nice as Mahomes has been and was on Sunday night time, it was Steve Spagnuolo’s Kansas Metropolis protection that made the 2 largest performs of the sport — and of the season.
The perfect of all was their cease of the Payments on a fourth-and-5 from their 47-yard line with 1:50 remaining and Spagnuolo sending the home on a blitz.
The strain pressured Payments quarterback Josh Allen to heave a desperation move down the sector which tight finish Dalton Kincaid did not haul in regardless of getting two palms on it.
Earlier within the fourth quarter, the Chiefs stoned Allen, who’s nearly unstoppable on short-yardage runs, on a fourth-and-1 with Buffalo main 22-21 and 12:55 remaining within the recreation.
However the cease was not with out controversy. One line decide appeared prepared to identify the ball for a primary down, however the ball was put down simply brief. The spot was reviewed — and upheld.
That gave Kansas Metropolis, which had been getting harm by the Buffalo dashing assault, possession and life.
Spagnuolo walked up and down the sideline urging his defensive gamers to cease the run. And so they did.
The Chiefs made the Payments pay for the failed fourth down, taking a 29-22 lead 2:41 after the cease on a 10-yard Mahomes scoring run with 10:14 remaining in regulation.
As a result of this was the epic recreation it was, the Payments would march the size of the sector on the following sequence to tie the sport at 29-29 with 6:15 remaining in regulation.
The tying rating got here on a 4-yard Allen scoring move to Curtis Samuel on fourth-and-goal.
The Chiefs took the 32-29 lead on the subsequent possession with a 35-yard Harrison Butker area aim with 3:33 remaining in regulation.
That made Butker 11-of-11 within the postseason within the fourth quarter and additional time. And it set the stage for Allen to don his Superman cape and slay the dragon.
However alas, he couldn’t, being eradicated by Kansas Metropolis for the fourth time within the playoffs. Allen completed 22-for-34 for 237 yards and one TD passing and 11-for-39 dashing.
For Mahomes, it was his seventeenth profession playoff win, surpassing Joe Montana and inserting him behind solely Brady. He completed 18-for-26 for 245 yards and one TD passing and 11-for-43 with two TDs dashing.
The anticipated matchup didn’t disappoint throughout the primary half-hour, with the primary half ending with the Chiefs main 21-16.
The Chiefs had taken a 21-10 lead on a 1-yard Mahomes run with 1:55 remaining within the half.
That rating was arrange by a 34-second three-and-out by the Buffalo offense after which a 42-yard punt return by Kansas Metropolis’s Nikko Remigio that gave Kansas Metropolis a beginning drive on the Buffalo 34.
The sport started with wildly contrasting first possessions by the 2 groups.
The Payments seemed jittery and discombobulated on the primary possession of the sport, going three-and-out however with Allen overthrowing receivers on second and third downs with passes that ought to have been intercepted by Kansas Metropolis security Bryan Cook dinner.
The Chiefs then took over at their very own 10-yard line and took a 7-0 lead on a Kareem Hunt 12-yard run to cap a nine-play, 90-yard drive.
The Payments answered that sequence with a 53-yard Tyler Bass area aim to chop the result in 7-3.
With Kansas Metropolis seemingly on the verge of an enormous early lead, the Chiefs threw the Payments a lifeline with a Mahomes fumble in Buffalo territory late within the first quarter.
On the play, a sloppy handoff alternate between Mahomes and operating again Isiah Pacheco, the Payments received the ball again at their very own 28-yard line with 57 seconds remaining within the first quarter.
Of extra significance, it was Kansas Metropolis’s first turnover in 9 video games, spanning 501 offensive performs and 70 days.
The Payments made the Chiefs pay for his or her gaffe, taking a 10-7 lead on a 6-yard scoring run by operating again James Cook dinner.
The Payments didn’t have the lead for lengthy with the Chiefs answering with an 11-yard TD move to Worthy.
Even with the Payments’ clutch scoring drive late within the first half to chop the deficit to 1 possession, that hardly fazed the Chiefs.
They had been of their consolation zone: In a detailed recreation.
Kansas Metropolis has now received a exceptional 12 one-score video games this season and, courting again to final season, 16 in a row.
Now they go to New Orleans with an opportunity to make historical past.
