- Chiefs will play Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl
- Email David with your thoughts or tweet @LengelDavid
It’s all over. The Kansas City Chiefs are heading to their second consecutive Super Bowl. They will face the Tampa Bay Bucs in an old v new QB match-up, Mahomes and Brady, together, in the Sunshine State! Should be a lot of fun.
Bills 24-38 Chiefs, 2:00 4th quarter
A Williams first down run means this game is almost officially over.
A team finally gets an onside kick, but it’s somehow in a situation where even that won’t make it competitive. That’s the proper way to wind down this farce. @LengelDavid
Ain’t that’s the truth.
Bills 24-38 Chiefs, 2:51 4th quarter
The Bills call their final timeout. It’s 3rd down for KC.
Bass kicks it through and it’s a two score game again.
This time KC recovers the onside kick. Kemp has it for the Chiefs, who takeover at the Bills 47.
Bills 21-38 Chiefs, 3:19 4th quarter
Unsportsmanlike conduct on Allen, on Okafor, personal foul on Dion Dawkins and Feliciano offense 73, and all penalties offset.
Bills 21-38 Chiefs, 3:19 4th quarter
I should have mentioned that Okafor was pushed down by Feliciano after all that took place – they are STILL trying to sort this out.
Bills 21-38 Chiefs, 3:19 4th quarter
Allen is backpedaling and backpedaling, so far that they blow the whistle after Tanoh Kpassagnon has him in his grasp. Then Allen tosses the ball at Okafor, who came in late, and there’s a little scuffle and a few flags.
Bills 21-38 Chiefs, 3:37 4th quarter
Great catch by a sky high Diggs over the middle – Buffalo are on the 15!
The Bills have recovered an onside kick, which is basically impossible these days.
That means if the Bills should have went for one! Oh boy!
McKenzie has a TD catch over the middle and the Bills are going for two. It’s picked off! So it’s still a three score game, and in case you weren’t convinced this game was over earlier – well, you are now.
Bills 15-38 Chiefs, 4:28 4th quarter
Allen runs out of bounds for a loss setting up a 3rd and 13. Amazing throw across Allen’s body after a scramble is complete to Diggs, plus a 15-yard personal foul by Okafor. Now they’re on the 12.
Bills 15-38 Chiefs, 5:46 4th quarter
Allen runs for a first down on 3rd & 2 – he has 88 yards rushing for those keeeping score at home.
Mahomes floats a pass into the arms of a wide (and I mean WIDE) open Kelce.
As Marv Albert would say…”and that’ll do it!”
Bills 15-31 Chiefs, 7:41 4th quarter
Chunks of time falling off the clock.
Bills 15-31 Chiefs, 8:46 4th quarter
Mahomes is over 300 yards now, and now he has some more – Hill has it inside the 20 after a catch on the far sideline. A much better game for Mahomes than he had in Buffalo in week six.
Bills 15-31 Chiefs, 9:55 4th quarter
Offensive lineman Eric Fisher has head off the field and into the injury tent.
I know I should be focusing more on the game, but I’m just stunned that there’s a CBS show just called “FBI.” What a complete lack of effort on their part. @LengelDavid
Bills 15-31 Chiefs, 12:20 4th quarter
CBS TV in the United States says this is Allen’s first playoff interception. It came at a bad time.
Allen passes and it’s off the fingertips of Brown, and into the hands of Fenton – who just came into the game after Sneed got hurt! That interrupts what was a promising drive for the Bills and could be the nail in the Buffalo coffin.
Bills 15-31 Chiefs, 13:28 4th quarter
Allen has time on first down but can’t find the TE Knox.
Bills 15-31 Chiefs, 13:50 4th quarter
Allen takes a shot at Diggs down the field, but the wideout is forced to turn around in mid-air and the ball is high – incomplete.
Bills 15-31 Chiefs, 14:28 4th quarter
McKenzie runs for the first down, so the drive continues.
Allen has Beasly underneath for 13 yards, to the KC 42 – a yard short of the first down. Now Buffalo will go for it (I hope) when we return.
Bills 15-31 Chiefs, 0:33 3rd quarter
On 2nd & 4 ALlen is sacked! It’s Clark with KC’s second sack, setting up a third and 14 for Buffalo. This is not what you want Bills fans.
Bills 15-31 Chiefs, 1:33 3rd quarter
Diggs has a first down catch at the 38 as the Bills drive stays alive.
Bills 15-31 Chiefs, 2:40 3rd quarter
So now what? The Bills offense goes crazy and the Buffalo defense figures out how to stop KC? You know, I’m not sure.
Oh, Mahomes with an underhand flip to Kelce and he’s in for the touchdown! That is taking the piss just a little bit! What a play!
Bills 15-24 Chiefs, 3:31 3rd quarter
Two flags in the endzone – we’ve got a defensive holding, so instead of a big third down play we have a first and goal.
Bills 15-24 Chiefs, 3:43 3rd quarter
Chiefs start at the 25 – Mahomes scrambles and shoved out of bounds a touch late. No flag though.
The 27-yard FG is good and the Bills inch closer. This isn’t gonna cut it – the Bills defense needs to make a play, and sooner rather than later.
Bills 12-24 Chiefs, 5:52 3rd quarter
Allen in the shotgun – he’s chased and throws under pressure towards Diggs and out of the endzone. So the drive is halted and here comes Bass for another field goal try.
Bills 12-24 Chiefs, 6:19 3rd quarter
Good looking drive here from Buffalo – exactly what they needed, but can they cash in? On 2nd & 3, Singletary is stopped cold, setting up a huge 3rd & 3.
Bills 12-24 Chiefs, 7:22 3rd quarter
2nd and 15 after a false start penalty on Buffalo. Allen from the shotgun, ducks out of trouble and runs for about nine! Handy run there after Sneed almost took him down.
Bills 12-24 Chiefs, 8:19 3rd quarter
Beasly makes a catch and a run and a cut and has a healthy gain of 23 yards to the KC 24. Excellent play there! Is the Buffalo offense alive?
Bills 12-24 Chiefs, 8:58 3rd quarter
OK, here it goes for Buffalo. Little pass to Beasley, about five yards.
Butker has a 45-yard field goal, and the Bills have a small victory.
Now they need to put seven on the board.
Bills 12-21 Chiefs, 11:00 3rd quarter
Mahomes hands to Hill who has another eight or so. It’s too easy.
Bills 12-21 Chiefs, 12:38 3rd quarter
Kelce has his 10th catch on the far sideline, setting up a big 3rd & about five for KC.
Bills 12-21 Chiefs, 13:23 3rd quarter
Pringle has a first down catch as Mahomes continues to mosey through the Bills defense. They’re up to the 48 after a six-yard gain.
Bills 12-21 Chiefs, 14:56 3rd quarter
So indeed, Hill was out of bounds, and that moves the play from a 31-yard gain to 16. Good challenge win from Buffalo, and at this point, they’ll take it.
Bills 12-21 Chiefs, 14:56 3rd quarter
Mahomes immediately finds Hill who zigs and zags for 31 yards! But it looks like he may have stepped out of bounds earlier in the play, so they’re gonna take a look at that.
Chiefs ball on the 25. Let’s see what the Bills defense came up with at halftime.
Analysis
Here goes:
Bills 12-21 Chiefs, end of 2nd quarter
Hardman runs it to the 30. Mahomes kneels and that’s the half. It was a doozy.
It’s a chip shot from Bass and it’s good. So that’s something, it kind of stops the bleeding, some.
Bills 9-21 Chiefs, 0:14 2nd quarter
Delay of game? Or did Bills head coach Sean McDermott call time?
Bills 9-21 Chiefs, 0:21 2nd quarter
Big moment here for the Bills. Can they cash in? Allen rolls right and can’t find anyone – he throws it away but he’s out of bounds.
Bills 9-21 Chiefs, 0:28 2nd quarter
Allen is in the shotgun. He hands to Yeldon who stumbles to a first down!
Bills 9-21 Chiefs, 1:07 2nd quarter
Brown is streaking across the middle and now he has the ball – a brisk Allen pass is right into his chest. It’s 3rd & 2 on the 12.
Bills 9-21 Chiefs, 1:52 2nd quarter
The KC crowd are up trying to stop the Bills and the KC defense cooperates – an Allen bootleg results in an incomplete pass.
Bills 9-21 Chiefs, 2:00 2nd quarter
Allen, a great fake to the RB, and he runs right for another Bills first down. We’re at the 2:00 warning with the ball in the red zone.
Bills 9-21 Chiefs, 2:19 2nd quarter
Allen, drops back, reads a book, cooks dinner, ALL KIDS OF TIME, then he flips it across his body to Yeldon – wow! What a play, and the coverage was really good.
Bills 9-21 Chiefs, 3:06 2nd quarter
OK, this is serious – Allen and his offense have got to get something here, don’t they?
Helaire is in for the TD and the Chiefs rampage continues.
This is what happens when you miss an extra point.
Bills 9-14 Chiefs, 4:12 2nd quarter
The Bills defense are flummoxed, calling time after a Kelce catch takes them down to the Buffalo one-yard-line.
Bills 9-14 Chiefs, 4:33 2nd quarter
Helaire has it – a gain of four, setting up 3rd & 6 at the KC 37.
Bills 9-14 Chiefs, 7:51 2nd quarter
Mahomes runs right, throws right towards Pringle, who can’t come up with it.
Bills 9-14 Chiefs, 8:44 2nd quarter
Now It’s 3rd & 3…KC crowd are up – over 17000 of them.
Bills 9-14 Chiefs, 9:29 2nd quarter
The small crowd is making some decent noise as they smell blood. Allen in the shotgun, pumps and throws nearly into the hands of Ward, who by the way, plays for the Chiefs. Yikes.
Bills 9-14 Chiefs, 9:35 2nd quarter
If you’re wondering how Josh Allen and the Bills will respond to this sudden KC onslaught, two TD’s in under five minutes, well, you’re ion the right place.
Williams runs it in from six yards out and just like that, KC take their first lead of the game!
It’s a real test for Buffalo now: they desperately need a long drive to keep that ball out of KC’s hands.
Bills 9-7 Chiefs, 9:43 2nd quarter
Mahomes moves well in the pocket before firing complete to Kelce, again, over the middle! He’s inside the 10, first and goal KC, who have it all going now.
Bills 9-7 Chiefs, 11:08 2nd quarter
The Bills are three and out and here comes Mahomes and the KC offense.
Bills 9-7 Chiefs, 12:26 2nd quarter
Singletary is wide open but just drops it. That’s a real blunder – eesh.
Bills 9-7 Chiefs, 13:09 2nd quarter
So Mahomes looks ok, eh? I would say so. We haven’t seen him take a real shot down field, but he’s running well and passing better.
Redemption for Hardman – Mahomes finds the wideout on the far side and he runs into the end zone. KC go 80 yards in nearly seven minutes and are on the board.
Bills 9-0 Chiefs, 14:20 2nd quarter
Mahomes runs left and fires to Kelce but Johnson is there to break it up.
Here we go – Mahomes fakes the handoff, moves right and finds Williams for a first down. Terrific design and execution by KC.
Now Mahomes finds Hill for eight over the middle fir eight, down to the Buffalo six.
Bills 9-0 Chiefs, 1:08 1st quarter
On 2nd & 11, Mahomes faces heat and throws incomplete setting up 3rd & long.
Bills 9-0 Chiefs, 2:05 1st quarter
Here’s Hill with his first reception – it comes over the middle as the Chiefs find a rhythm with three first downs on this current drive.
Bills 9-0 Chiefs, 3:57 1st quarter
Kelce is active, making his presence known underneath (as he does). His third catch is for 11 yards to the KC 41.
Bills 9-0 Chiefs, 4:58 1st quarter
So how will the startled Chiefs respond to an early deficit – well, history shows quite well, as they were down in three games during the playoffs last year and won all three. How about now?
Allen is looking at Dawson who is running towards the sideline – he throws and connects with the tight end who is in for the touchdown!
The Bills have jumped on top early and have capitalized on the turnover, stunning the thinned covid crowd at Arrowhead.
Hardman muffs the punt! The Bills recover – it’s Jones who comes up with the football at the KC 3! Huge opportunity now for Buffalo!
Bills 3-0 Chiefs, 6:40 1st quarter
There goes Allen – he steps up in the pocket and is off on an 18-yard scramble to the Buffalo 39!
Bills 3-0 Chiefs, 9:13 1st quarter
Allen starts in the shotgun, drops back and fires over the middle to Driggs who cannot hang on after being hit by Tershawn Wharton.
Bills 3-0 Chiefs, 9:58 1st quarter
Mahomes is looking for his main man Tyreek Hill – he floats it into his hands but he drops it! So the Bills survive their first test. The punt is down to the 15, where Buffalo will take over.
Bills 3-0 Chiefs, 10:13 1st quarter
Short kick – what’s up with that? Byron Pringle takes it up to the 35 after a 24-yard return.
Kicking on natural grass, Bass makes it look easy and the Bills strike first. Now it’s all eyes on Patrick Mahomes.
Bills 0-0 Chiefs, 11:32 1st quarter
On 3rd & 3, Allen looks for Beasley down the near sideline and he’s nearly picked off. The drive stalls, here comes a 51-yard attempt from Tyler Bass.
Bills 0-0 Chiefs, 13:18 1st quarter
It’s 3rd & 7. CBS tells us Buffalo has the best third down offense in the league. Let’s see.
Kickoff!
See, I wasn’t kidding. We’re off. The Bills have it at their 25 to start – a one-yard gain from Singletary is Buffalo’s first game from scrimmage. Then Allen hits Beasley who is streaking across the middle. That’s a gain of 17, and the Bills are moving and are at their 43.
Prediction time
The Bills are getting 3.5 points in Vegas but I don’t think they’ll need it. I do like what Buffalo did vs the run last week and with their pass defense already strong, they could have another good game against Mahomes as they did back in week six. Plus, Mahomes is coming off a concussion and does have that turf toe.
The weather factor
These folks are used to the worst the weather gods can throw at them, but the Bills and Chiefs are catching something of a break tonight. KC will be about 37/3 degrees, reasonable for this time of year. There is however a chance of some rain, which could be fun. Kickoff coming soon.
Does this mean that Brady wins the who is more important to the Patriots dynasty pub chat? That’s a piece for next week, but here’s another question: does this mean Brady has outdone what Joe Montana did with his new team 27 years ago. I know, it’s something of a strange question – stick with me.
The legendary Joe Montana, who won four Super Bowl rings with the 49ers, had made a similar, late career move, to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993. In his first season at Arrowhead, Montana took KC all the way to the brink of the Super Bowl XXVIII, losing to, yes, the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship.
Don’t, if you don’t have to. It’s a process to go through, and it takes time to get used to the team…I just can’t see how they would let him leave there, myself.
Battle of the Sauces!
If the Bills / Chiefs tilt isn’t enough for you, how about KC BBQ sauce v Buffalo wings sauce. It’s an enticing battle between spicy and vinegary vs the somewhat sweet and tangy rib topping condiment.
This weekend, it will be KC BBQ vs Buffalo Wings. Nice bet @QuintonLucasKC & @MayorByronBrown https://t.co/5kgcIgjavf
The last time
I mentioned that if not for a flukish loss to Arizona, Buffalo would be on a 12-game winning streak. That would make the Bills last loss to KC back in week six. In that matchup, it wasn’t Mahomes who lit up Buffalo, but rather, KC’s rookie RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who ran through a banged up Bills line for 161 yards, with Mahomes chalking up a modest 225 yards. Josh Allen had what was arguably his worst day of the season, passing for just 122 yards as the Chiefs won 26-17. Of course, Allen has done a lot better since, and so has Mahomes who guided Kansas City to a 14-2 record. Below is a look at highlights of that game.
Welcome to our coverage of the AFC Championship. We’ve got quite the nightcap (morning? afternoon?) in store for you with the Buffalo Bills, who are attempting to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since 1993, taking on the Kansas City Chiefs, current holders of the NFL’s most prized piece of metal.
The Chiefs drive for a dynasty nearly took a nasty turn against the Browns last week as they survived a late rally from Cleveland. They were saved not by heroics from their all-Galaxy quarterback Pat Mahomes, but rather, his replacement, Chad Henne. KC’s backup somehow found a way to razzle and dazzle his Chiefs to safety with a couple of timely and unlikely plays as the clock ticked down in Arrowhead.
David will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s a preview of today’s game:
What the Bills need to do to win: The Chiefs can do so much damage, so quickly, through the air with the likes of Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill that encouraging them to go to the run game, perhaps by not packing the box, is one option. Josh Allen has evolved beyond recognition in a short space of time, partly because of the array of weapons he has, from the almost impossible to cover Stefon Diggs to Cole Beasley to tight end Dawson Knox. The Bills will need to keep that chemistry going on Sunday.
