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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Perhaps the officiating member introducing the extra time coin flip mentioned it finest.
“Gentlemen,” he started earlier than the Chiefs received the toss, “great job so far.”
Indeed, the Bills and Chiefs every handled followers to sensible soccer Sunday afternoon earlier than the Chiefs in the end superior to their fourth straight AFC championship sport. Patrick Mahomes sailed a back-shoulder fade to tight finish Travis Kelce for an 8-yard landing to cap off a methodical extra time drive that lifted the Chiefs to a 42-36 victory. The Chiefs will host the Cincinnati Bengals subsequent Sunday with a Super Bowl berth on the road.
But might playoff get rather more thrilling than the duel at Arrowhead Stadium this week? After a trio of older quarterbacks had been upset at dwelling, the Chiefs and Bills demonstrated how highly effective younger, dual-threat signal-callers could be.
The sport’s power matched a rowdy Arrowhead Stadium crowd from the start. Fourth-down makes an attempt? The Bills received each on their first drive, together with Devin Singletary’s left end-around landing on fourth-and-1.
Quarterbacks with wheels? Mahomes scrambled thrice in his preliminary drive for 49 yards together with Kansas City’s first landing, every runaway not merely a design however a calculated learn of his targets’ protection and elusion of Bills defenders throughout the sphere.
Mahomes and Allen every continued to reply on an evening in which they rushed for 69 and 68 yards respectively and threw six mixed touchdowns by air. They traded scores earlier than halftime and tortured defenders whose tackles every quarterback repeatedly eluded.
But it should be mentioned: Excitement permeated the ultimate 2 minutes of regulation.
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When a fan ran on the sphere on the two-minute warning, the Bills trailed 26-21. They confronted fourth-and-13. Allen and vast receiver Gabriel Davis, his undeniably favourite goal of the day, didn’t care.
Davis had already caught two touchdowns from Allen when the quarterback threaded the 27-yard landing his manner with 1:57 to go. Mahomes responded with a dart to speedy receiver Tyreek Hill, who turned on the jets to the tune of 50 yards after the catch because the Chiefs nailed a go-ahead, 64-yard rating.
But then Davis slipped between defenders in the center of the top zone but once more, the second-year receiver’s fourth landing of a memorable night time. The heroics had been nonetheless inadequate: With 13 seconds to play, Mahomes positioned kicker Harrison Butker—who had missed a 50-yard area objective and additional level in the competition – to aim from 49. This time, Butker was good. An explosive sport with 25 factors in the ultimate 2 minutes was headed to extra time.
The Chiefs received the toss. They had been right here earlier than, dropping to the Patriots in extra time of the primary of this 4 AFC title sport stretch. Mahomes spoke after that sport to then-Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who inspired him that these possibilities would return and that Mahomes’ expertise and work ethic would repay.
Three years later, they did. Mahomes by no means let the Bills maintain the ball. He accomplished all six cross makes an attempt for 69 whole yards and a seamless landing to Kelce.
Allen completed the day of 27-of-37 for 329 yards and 4 passing touchdowns, additionally main the Bills with 68 speeding yards on 11 carries.
Mahomes accomplished 33-of-44 makes an attempt for 378 yards and three touchdowns, additionally main his workforce with 69 speeding yards on seven carries together with a landing.
Davis led all receivers with 201 yards and 4 touchdowns on eight catches. Hill topped Chiefs targets with 150 receiving yards and a landing on 11 catches.
Next up?
“Keep rolling,” Mahomes mentioned in his postgame interview on area with CBS.
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Jori Epstein on Twitter @JoriEpstein.
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