The Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday kept their bid for an historic third straight Super Bowl alive, holding off the Buffalo Bills 32-29 in an American Football Conference Championship thriller to set up a title clash with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles’ explosive ground game carried them to a 55-23 triumph over the Washington Commanders and into the championship showpiece in New Orleans on Feb. 9.
In another tense duel between Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Bills counterpart Josh Allen, Mahomes ran for a 10-yard touchdown and completed the two-point conversion to put Kansas City up 29-22 early in the fourth quarter.
Photo: AFP
After Allen answered with a four-yard touchdown pass to Curtis Samuel to knot the score at 29-29, Harrison Butker booted a 35-yard field goal that capped the scoring — the Chiefs defense thwarting the Bills’ last bid.
“I’m just so proud of my teammates and how they responded,” said Mahomes, who ran for two touchdowns and threw for another. “That was a great football team and I’m just, I’m just lost of words. I’m just excited to get down to New Orleans — let’s go make history.”
Kansas City have now ruined the Bills dreams in four of the past five post-seasons — twice in the conference championship. The Bills have not made it to the NFL showpiece since 1993.
Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Cheered on by Taylor Swift, the pop singer girlfriend of Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce, the hosts took the lead in the first quarter with a 12-yard rushing touchdown from Kareem Hunt.
The Bills responded with a 53-yard Tyler Bass field goal followed early in the second quarter with a six-yard rushing score from James Cook that put the Bills up 10-7, but then the Chiefs turned on the style with Mahomes showing all his class to find Xavier Worthy with an 11-yard touchdown pass.
The quarterback’s one-yard touchdown run put the Chiefs 11 points up.
Photo: AP
Allen answered with a touchdown pass to Mack Hollins and the Bills took a 22-21 lead on Cook’s one-yard scoring plunge.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said his team would have to set aside the hype surrounding their bid for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl and focus on the Eagles.
“It still comes down to the game and the purity of the game, and each play and how you handle it, and so you don’t get yourself too far out of that box,” Reid said. “You just concentrate on the opponent and what you’ve got to get done against them.”
In Philadelphia, quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley rushed for three touchdowns apiece, rookie running back Will Shipley ran for another and Hurts threw for one touchdown as the Eagles set a record for points scored in a conference championship game.
They now have a chance to avenge their 2023 Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs.
Barkley, who came aboard as a free agent for just such an opportunity, set an early tone with a 60-yard touchdown run on the Eagles’ first play from scrimmage.
He added two four-yard scoring runs, while Hurts twice plunged into the end zone from one yard out and also delivered a nine-yard touchdown run.
Hurts also connected on 20 of 28 passes for 246 yards.
Washington’s Jayden Daniels, trying to become the first rookie quarterback to reach the Super Bowl, played with his trademark aplomb.
His 10-yard rushing touchdown followed by a two-point conversion had the Commanders within 11 points late in the third quarter.
Daniels threw for 255 yards with one touchdown. His one interception was one of four Commanders turnovers that ultimately proved too much to overcome.
Barkley called reaching the Super Bowl “amazing,” but warned the Eagles were not satisfied with the conference crown.
“The goal wasn’t just getting there,” Barkley said. “The goal is to win, and we’re going to celebrate and enjoy this, and get right back to work.”
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