:quality(70):focal(1965x705:1975x715)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/FS7YJ4EK3UGROQFK24AP4VDHWE.jpg){kind=small}
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Travis Kelce caught two landing passes from Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs superior to their sixth straight AFC championship sport with a 27-24 win over the Buffalo Payments on Sunday night time.
Isiah Pacheco scored the go-ahead landing on a 4-yard run 40 seconds into the fourth quarter, the final of 5 lead adjustments. The Chiefs clinched the win by operating out the clock after Buffalo’s Tyler Bass was huge proper on a 44-yard discipline aim try with 1:43 remaining.
The defending Tremendous Bowl champion Chiefs (13-6) transfer on to Baltimore to face Lamar Jackson and the convention’s top-seeded Ravens, who beat Houston 34-10 on Saturday.
Kansas Metropolis is 0-1 within the playoffs in opposition to the Ravens, following a 30-7 loss within the 2010 wild-card spherical. Baltimore defeated Kansas Metropolis 36-35 of their most up-to-date regular-season matchup in Week 2 of the 2021 season.
“There’s no weak spot there,” Mahomes stated of the Ravens. “It’s going to take our greatest effort. Protection, offense, particular groups, they do all of it. It’s all the time a terrific problem and that stadium’s going to be rocking, so we’re excited for the problem.”
Buffalo and Kansas Metropolis traded unlikely turnovers, with the Payments (12-7) failing to transform on a pretend punt when Damar Hamlin was stopped for two yards on a fourth-and-5 at Buffalo’s 32. The Chiefs then gave the ball proper again two performs later when Mecole Hardman misplaced a fumble into the top zone for a touchback.
The sport wasn’t determined till the Payments’ ultimate drive stalled on the Chiefs 26 when Allen threw a pair of incompletions, resulting in Bass’ miss. It got here every week after he had a field-goal try blocked and in addition missed from 27 yards in a 31-17 win over Pittsburgh.
“I want he wouldn’t have been put in that state of affairs,” Allen stated. “You win as a crew, you lose as a crew. One play doesn’t outline a sport.”
Kansas Metropolis has by no means misplaced within the divisional spherical since Mahomes took over as starter in 2018, and the Chiefs have now gained 5 consecutive playoff video games since a 27-24 additional time loss to Cincinnati within the AFC championship sport through the 2021 season.
Mahomes, a two-time NFL MVP, also can examine off one other first on his file by profitable his first highway begin within the playoffs — not counting Tremendous Bowls — and bettering his postseason mark to 13-3.
“Initially, this can be a nice atmosphere, man,” Mahomes stated of Buffalo. “It truly is. We did hear all of it week, man, about enjoying a highway sport, and we’re right here to show a degree and present that we will play wherever.”
The Payments had their third consecutive postseason finish within the divisional spherical, following losses to Cincinnati final 12 months and the Chiefs in 2021. And the Chiefs ended Buffalo’s season for the third time in 4 years, together with a 38-24 choice at Kansas Metropolis within the AFC championship sport within the 2020 season.
It was one other disappointing end for a Payments crew that gained its fourth consecutive AFC East title, and was on a six-game roll since a 20-17 win at Kansas Metropolis on Dec. 10.
And sometimes, the Payments maintain getting eradicated by the Chiefs in irritating trend. Add Bass lacking huge proper to what has since been dubbed “13 Seconds,” which marked how a lot time was left for Kansas Metropolis to arrange Harrison Butker’s tying discipline aim earlier than beating Buffalo in additional time two years in the past.
“Simply misplaced within the playoffs to a crew that’s kicked us out,” security Jordan Poyer stated. “It’s powerful. You’re employed so exhausting all through the season to battle and claw again, our backs in opposition to the wall, all people doubting us halfway by the season and we get right here and simply that shut.”
Mahomes was 17 of 23 for 215 yards, and the 2 TD passes to Kelce had been the fifteenth and sixteenth occasions they’ve mixed for scores within the playoffs. They’ve another than Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski for the NFL file for many playoff TDs for a quarterback-receiver mixture.
Kelce celebrated his first landing catch — a 22-yarder — by making a coronary heart gesture together with his fingers and directed it at girlfriend and pop music famous person Taylor Swift, who was sitting in a set on the reverse finish of the sector.
Additionally readily available was Kelce’s brother, Jason, the Eagles heart who informed teammates in confidence after Philadelphia’s playoff loss to Tampa Bay final week that he’s retiring after 13 seasons. Jason Kelce celebrated the landing shirtless whereas holding a can of beer.
Buffalo’s Josh Allen completed 26 of 39 for 186 yards and a landing, and in addition ran for 2 scores. Allen completed with a team-leading 72 yards dashing to extend his profession playoff whole to 563, the second most amongst NFL quarterbacks in league historical past and trailing solely Steve Younger (594).
Buffalo scored on 4 of its first 5 possessions, with Allen’s 13-yard TD cross to Khalil Shakir placing the Payments up 24-20 with 3:23 left within the third quarter.
The Chiefs scored on 5 of their first six possessions, together with a kneeldown to finish the primary half. Pacheco’s landing capped an eight-play 75-yard drive.
The sport-time temperature was 26 Fahrenheit (minus-3 Celsius), with gusting winds making it really feel like 15F (minus-9C), however nothing like what the 2 groups confronted of their respective playoff openers.
The Chiefs’ 26-7 residence win over Miami was the NFL’s fourth-coldest sport, with a game-time temperature at minus-4F (minus-20C). Buffalo’s 31-17 win over Pittsburgh on Monday featured a temperature of 17F (minus-8C), and 12 factors colder with the wind chill.
