The Kansas City Chiefs are headed back to the AFC championship game.
The Chiefs, thanks to a missed Buffalo field goal late, edged out a close 27-24 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night at Highmark Stadium. The victory sends them to the conference championship game for a sixth straight season.
After a perfect back-and-forth game in the latest installment of the Patrick Mahomes-Josh Allen battle, Allen led the Bills down the field and into scoring position just inside the two-minute warning. Then Tyler Bass missed a 44-yard field goal, which would have tied the game, just wide right.
With that, Mahomes and the Chiefs hung on to grab the three-point win and seal yet another trip to the AFC title game.
These two teams squared off in the playoffs 2021 and 2022, and both were losses for the Bills, one in the AFC championship game and one in the divisional round. The Bills were the home team with a trip to the AFC championship on the line this time, but it ultimately didn't make the difference.
The Chiefs advance to take on the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens next week at M&T Bank Stadium with a return trip to Super Bowl LVIII in their sights.
Wide right. Again. Gutting for the Bills. All of these missed opportunities are piling up for them. That window doesn't stay open forever. https://t.co/85IX6SZJc9
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) January 22, 2024
Ryan Young
Khalil Shakir questionable to return with shoulder injury, per @tracywolfson. Shakir leads Bills with 34 receiving yards & TD, including 2 somehow-didn't-hit-the-ground grabs
We have a stop. After five straight touchdown drives not including an end-of-half kneel-down, the Chiefs defense stops the Bills. Buffalo goes for it on fourth-and-5 at its own 30 with a fake punt and fails. Big gamble backfires and gives Kansas City the ball already in field goal range.
Isaiah Pacheco pays off the big pass gains with a grind of a four-yard touchdown run to get the lead back for the Chiefs, 27-24. That's now five lead changes.
Patrick Mahomes finds Marquez Valdes-Scantling on another deep ball, this time for 32 yards to drive into the red zone. Kansas City's threatening again at the end of the third quarter with Buffalo leading 24-20.
Jason Owens
It was a sloppy end zone trip for the Bills, but they found the end zone. Burned a timeout, then took a delay of game to set up third-and-goal at the 13. But Josh Allen found Khalil Shakir in the front left corner of the end zone in a tight window after buying time with his feet.
Fourth lead change of the game puts Buffalo up, 24-20. This one's living up to the hype.
And we've reached halftime. Competitive game with Buffalo leading, 17-13.
Jason Owens
The Bills get in close and do the only thing that makes sense. They let Josh Allen run it in. Allen's second touchdown comes from two yards and gives the Bills a 17-13 lead just before halftime.
.@JoshAllenQB has his 2nd rushing TD! Buffalo back on top.
Travis Kelce breaks wide open in the Bills secondary and hauls in a 22-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes. Chiefs lead 13-10 on a breakdown for the Bills defense.
Mahomes to Kelce. Bread and butter. Chiefs take the lead! #ChiefsKingdom
Buffalo's second drive finds the end zone. Josh Allen runs it in from five yards for a 10-3 Bills lead. Bills are bullying the Chiefs defense on the ground with 94 rushing yards on two possession
The first quarter's done with a field goal for each team and a 3-3 tie. Buffalo's driving again and approaching the red zone. Bills dominated the time of possession with 11:27 of ball control.
Jason Owens
Kansas City's first drive stalls in Bills territory. Justin Watson can't hold on to a third-down pass from Patrick Mahomes, and the Chiefs settle for a field-goal attempt. Harrison Butker converts from 47 yards, and the Chiefs tie the game at 3-3.
Jason Owens
Bills strike first, but don't find the end zone. Tyler Bass puts Buffalo on the board with a 27-yard field goal for an early 3-0 lead.
Jason Owens
Wild start. Buffalo sets up a fourth-and-1 on a Josh Allen lateral past the line of scrimmage to Tyler Johnson on third down. Allen then powers through on a fourth-and-1 gamble for a first down. It was close to a forward pass, but officials called it a lateral, and the Chiefs didn't challenge.
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