Travis Kelce catches two touchdown passes from Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs advance to their sixth consecutive AFC Championship Game. Won against Buffalo Bills 27-24 on Sunday night.
In a game in which the teams traded leads five times, Isaiah Pacheco scored the winning touchdown on a 4-yard run 40 seconds into the fourth quarter. With 1:43 remaining, the Chiefs clinched the victory as time expired after Buffalo's Tyler Bass missed a 44-yard field goal to the right.
“The defense picked up in the fourth quarter,” Mahomes said.
The defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs will play the conference's top seed, the Baltimore Ravens, who defeated Houston 34-10 on Saturday.
Kansas City has never lost in the divisional round since Mahomes became the starter in 2018, and the Chiefs have missed the playoffs since losing 27-24 in overtime to Cincinnati in the AFC Championship Game of the 2021 season. He has won five games in a row.
Mahomes, a two-time NFL MVP, won his first road start in the playoffs outside of the Super Bowl, improving his postseason record to 13-3 and setting a new mark on his record.
“First of all, it's a great environment,” Mahomes said of Buffalo. “That's true. We've been hearing all week about playing road games, but we came here to prove a point and show we can play anywhere.”
The Bills finished the postseason in the divisional round for the third consecutive year, losing to Cincinnati last year and the Chiefs in 2021. And the Chiefs ended Buffalo's third season in four years with a 38-24 decision win over Kansas City. AFC Championship Game for the 2020 season.
It was another disappointing result for a Bills team that had won its fourth straight AFC East title and had won six straight since a 20-17 win over Kansas City on Dec. 10.
Kansas City is 0-1 in the playoffs against the Ravens after losing 30-7 in the 2010 Wild Card round. Baltimore defeated Kansas City 36-35 in their most recent regular season matchup in Week 2 of the 2021 season.
“There's no weakness there,” Mahomes said of the Ravens. “It's going to take our best efforts. Defense, offense, special teams, they do it all. It's always a great challenge and that stadium is going to be rocking, so we're excited about that challenge. I am.”
