NFL followers obtained a late Christmas current on Monday when the Buffalo Payments defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, establishing a matchup with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs within the AFC Playoffs.
The 2 AFC powers will sq. off within the postseason for the third time in 4 years in what has basically turn into an annual custom.
The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs offense will get set on the line of scrimmage previous to the snap towards the Buffalo Payments protection on December 10, 2023, in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri. (Ryan Kang/Getty Photographs)
Buffalo and Kansas Metropolis have been the 2 greatest groups within the convention over the previous a number of years, with the 2 organizations holding the longest lively streaks of 10-win seasons.
The Sunday evening matchup will likely be for the appropriate to play within the AFC Championship Recreation towards both the Baltimore Ravens or the Houston Texans. Will probably be the primary street playoff sport within the profession of Patrick Mahomes as Kansas Metropolis appears to advance to its sixth straight convention championship sport.
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“We’ve performed in a number of huge video games,” Mahomes mentioned Wednesday, in response to ESPN. “I’m excited for the problem. I grew up watching these [Tom Brady-Peyton Manning] video games and bear in mind what number of reminiscences I’ve from that, and hopefully we will play in these nice video games as nicely and provides reminiscences to the children that come up behind us.”
Let’s check out the final two playoff video games between the Payments and Chiefs.
2020 AFC Championship Recreation
The primary playoff assembly between two of the NFL’s younger star quarterbacks went Mahomes’ approach.
In Buffalo’s first championship sport since 1994, Mahomes lit up the Payments secondary for 325 yards and three touchdowns. Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill each went over 100 yards receiving as Kansas Metropolis superior to the Tremendous Bowl towards the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Josh Allen of the Buffalo Payments appears on in the course of the first half towards the Eagles in Philadelphia on November 26, 2023. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Photographs)
Josh Allen threw for 287 yards and ran for 88 in his fourth postseason sport, however Kansas Metropolis received, 38-24.
The Chiefs would go on to lose to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tremendous Bowl LV.
2021 AFC Divisional Spherical
The Chiefs and Payments performed one of many nice NFL playoff video games at Arrowhead Stadium on Jan. 23, 2022. So nice, the truth is, the NFL was compelled to vary its time beyond regulation guidelines.
Mahomes and Allen went toe-to-toe for 5 quarters earlier than the Chiefs prevailed. Kansas Metropolis took a 26-21 lead halfway by the fourth quarter earlier than issues received a little bit loopy.
Allen threw two landing passes within the quarter as Buffalo took a 36-33 lead with simply 13 seconds left within the sport. Kansas Metropolis inexplicably discovered a strategy to go 44 yards in 10 seconds, establishing Harrison Butker for a game-tying 48-yard subject objective to ship the sport into time beyond regulation.
Kansas Metropolis received the coin toss and marched down the sphere for a game-winning landing from Mahomes to Kelce. In 2021, a landing in time beyond regulation ended the sport with out every workforce getting a possession.
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Patrick Mahomes, left, of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and Josh Allen of the Buffalo Payments meet after their sport in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri, on December 10, 2023. (Ryan Kang/Getty Photographs)
“It labored out nicely for us this time,” Mahomes mentioned after the sport. “When you may have two groups going forwards and backwards, it stinks while you don’t get to see the opposite man go. However all you are able to do is play the foundations the way in which the foundations are defined, and that’s what we did.”
The Chiefs would go on to lose to the Cincinnati Bengals within the AFC Championship Recreation.
The general public outcry was overwhelming, with most upset that the sport was determined by a flip of a coin.
In March 2022, NFL homeowners permitted new time beyond regulation guidelines to permit each groups to have possession of the ball. The one approach the sport ends with out each groups getting the ball is thru a security by the receiving workforce on the opening possession of time beyond regulation.
NFL followers have the Payments and Chiefs to thank for prolonged time beyond regulation soccer within the playoffs.
2023 AFC Divisional Spherical
The following chapter of the rivalry may have a special look.
For the primary time, Mahomes will go on the street within the playoffs because the Chiefs head to Orchard Park with an AFC Championship Recreation berth on the road.
The Payments enter the sport red-hot, winners of six straight video games after defeating the Steelers within the wild-card spherical. Allen was spectacular towards the Steelers, throwing for 3 touchdowns and dashing for 74 yards and a rating.
Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Payments talks with Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs after their sport at Arrowhead Stadium on October 10, 2021, in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Photographs)
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Regardless of their postseason failures towards Kansas Metropolis, Buffalo has had the Chiefs’ quantity in the course of the common season, successful the final three matchups, together with a Week 14 win at Arrowhead.
“The Payments are an important problem,” Mahomes mentioned, per ESPN. “I believe all people understands that they’ve gotten my quantity a number of occasions. We’ve been fortunate sufficient to get them within the playoffs, however they beat us earlier this yr. So, we perceive that we’re going to must play our greatest soccer to win the sport, particularly at their place, but it surely’s not about ending somebody’s season for us.”
“It’s about simply advancing, looking for a strategy to survive and advance and get to the following spherical, and no matter that takes this weekend, we’re going to attempt to do and attempt to go on the market and win a soccer sport.”
Kansas Metropolis enters the matchup using a three-game successful streak after a season full of uncommon struggles.
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Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs appears on from the sideline earlier than the sport towards the Buffalo Payments at GEHA Area at Arrowhead Stadium on December 10, 2023, in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri. (Ryan Kang/Getty Photographs)
After beginning the season 6-1, the Chiefs misplaced 5 of their eight video games because the offense struggled. Mahomes and Kansas Metropolis received again on monitor within the closing two weeks of the common season earlier than totally beating the Miami Dolphins final week.
“They’ve been on the prime of the mountain, they know what it takes to get there,” Allen mentioned after Wednesday’s walk-through observe, per the Payments’ web site. “We’ve but to do this. As a competitor, as a participant, to be in a state of affairs like that is one thing that you simply dream about.”
Buffalo and Kansas Metropolis kick off Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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