Chiefs return to Tremendous Bowl after breaking Payments’ hearts in one other thriller | NFL

Them once more. The “three-peat” is alive for the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs after they narrowly overcame the Buffalo Payments within the AFC championship recreation on Sunday to arrange a probably historic Tremendous Bowl conflict with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The finale on 9 February in New Orleans is a reprise of the Tremendous Bowl two years in the past that was gained 38-35 by the Chiefs after they did simply sufficient towards spirited however barely inferior opponents, thanks largely to the inspirational play of quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Payments know all too properly what it’s prefer to be on the receiving finish of that agonising expertise.

Josh Allen is just too good to be a nearly-man on a nearly-team, however the Payments star was as soon as once more second-best within the NFL’s most compelling quarterback rivalry. This was the fourth playoff assembly between Allen and Mahomes; the Kansas Metropolis man has now gained all of them.

Buffalo repeatedly ran the ball, even on fourth downs, with Allen making an attempt to pressure his approach excessive of the roiling scrum in a daring tactic that was as a lot about asserting psychological domination because it was about securing a valuable further yard or two.

Already with out injured beginning security Taylor Rapp, the Payments misplaced key cornerback Christian Benford within the first quarter after a conflict of helmets with teammate Damar Hamlin whereas making a sort out. Benford was pushed away in a cart after struggling his second concussion in every week. However the guests’ resilience was not unsure as they got here from behind thrice to take a one-point lead within the third quarter as a diving James Cook dinner, hauled down, stretched out his proper arm like Indiana Jones reaching for his fedora and planted the ball in the long run zone to provide Buffalo a 22-21 lead.

Kansas Metropolis, although, absorbed Buffalo’s finest and stored on replying, the groups buying and selling touchdowns. Sean McDermott’s staff erased a seven-point deficit within the fourth, levelling the scores at 29-29 with just a little over six minutes left to play.

Then a Harrison Butker area aim gave Kansas Metropolis a three-point lead with three minutes and 33 seconds to go. This was Allen’s probability to drive his staff up the sector for the successful landing, improve his famous person standing and conjure a victory that might take the Payments again to the Tremendous Bowl for the primary time since 1994, after they misplaced the title recreation for the fourth time in a row. However on fourth down, backpedalling, he launched a determined lengthy throw that slipped narrowly past the grasp of Dalton Kincaid. There was no approach again after that.

“We have been down three with the ball in Josh’s palms and I felt actually good about our probabilities, I actually did, and provides credit score to their protection, they made the stops there,” McDermott stated. “General the fellows battled and simply got here up just a little bit brief tonight. Seems to be prefer it might have gone both approach.”

He did concede that “one or two guys within the second half didn’t do a ok job getting stress on Mahomes,” resulting in the Payments, who’ve by no means gained a Tremendous Bowl, being thwarted by Kansas Metropolis as soon as once more. “We’ve obtained to maintain working to recover from that hump, there’s little question about it,” McDermott stated. “That is clearly a problem for us; we’ll determine it out.”

The Payments lead the Chiefs 4-1 of their regular-season conferences since 2020. They beat them two months in the past. However all that doesn’t appear to matter within the postseason. The Chiefs’ peculiar excellence is to fulfill and grasp the second underneath the steering of Mahomes, who accomplished 18 of his 26 passes for 245 yards and a landing. They’re responsive relatively than relentless, adjusting because the stress stage requires, answering challenges with a fluency that feels nearly computerized however can be a perform of Mahomes’ unflappable genius and the tactical astuteness of the pinnacle coach, Andy Reid.

Even when, as on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, a participant of Travis Kelce’s calibre was little concerned. No downside: the rookie large receiver Xavier Worthy, chosen with the twenty eighth decide within the 2024 draft after the Chiefs traded picks with the Payments, stepped up and stood out.

No staff has gained three consecutive Tremendous Bowls. However it’s a history-making alternative the Chiefs earned of their seventh successive AFC championship look, a grinding victory that places them on the point of much more glory.