By Stephen Ur
The Buffalo Bills hosted the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round at New Era Stadium in Orchard Park, NY on Sunday evening. It was the third time quarterbacks Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes met in the postseason, but the first time in Buffalo.
It was also the first time that Mahomes had played a road playoff game in his six-year career. With a win, he would advance to his sixth AFC championship game in six seasons.
The two teams would exchange field goals in the first quarter, and the game was tied at 3 after the first 15 minutes. Buffalo would score the first touchdown in the second quarter as Allen rushed for a five-yard score.
With the score 10-6 with 3:33 left in the half, Mahomes would give the Chiefs their first lead as he and tight end Travis Kelce connected for a 22-yard touchdown. Allen would rush for his second touchdown of the half with 26 seconds left, giving the Bills a 17-13 halftime lead.
Kelce and Mahomes would hook up for a second touchdown at the 11:48 mark of the third quarter, and the Chiefs re-took the lead at 20-17. Allen would throw his lone touchdown of the game, a 13-yarder to Khalil Shakir, and the Bills held a 24-20 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Within the first minute of the fourth quarter, Chiefs running back Isaiah Poccheco scored on a four-yard run, and the Chiefs were back on top. Buffalo had a chance to kick the game-tying field goal with 1:47 left, but the 46-yard field goal sailed to the right. Kansas City would run out the clock and win by a final score of 27-24.
Mahomes finished completing 17 of 23 passes for 215 yard and the two touchdown passes to Kelce. Poccheco finished just under 100 yards on the ground, rushing for 97 yards on 15 carries and what proved to be the go-ahead touchdown. Kelce led all receivers with five catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
Allen finished with 186 passing yards and a touchdown and also led the team with 72 rushing yards on 12 carries.
The Chiefs will travel to Baltimore to take on Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game next Sunday afternoon. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.