Chiefs hold off Bills to set up Super Bowl rematch with Eagles, keep three-peat bid alive

KANSAS CITY — A year ago, while the red, white and yellow confetti rained down during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Patrick Mahomes spoke of what his team would be playing for come 2024.

“I am going to do whatever I can to be back in this game next year,” Kansas City’s quarterback said. “Three-peat.”

Even in the euphoria of a second straight world championship, Mahomes knew what would be at stake the following season, a chance to accomplish something no franchise has in the 58-year Super Bowl era: three titles in a row.

Nearly 12 months later, Mahomes and the Chiefs have earned their shot at history.

With a 32-29 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs have secured their spot in Super Bowl LIX, where they’ll face the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles on Feb. 9 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

It’s a rematch of the Chiefs’ 38-35 win in Super Bowl LVII two years ago.

SEE YOU BACK IN THE BIG GAME, @EAGLES. pic.twitter.com/xRxhpau4XD

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 27, 2025

Kansas City’s staggering run of success continues: this is a team that simply refuses to lose. The Chiefs have now won nine straight playoff games and 17 straight one-score games. Their last postseason defeat came way back in the 2022 AFC Championship Game.

It’s also the fourth time Mahomes and the Chiefs have beaten Josh Allen and the Bills in the playoffs since both became starters in 2018.

It took six lead changes. It took two touchdown runs from Mahomes, who threw for another and finished with 288 all-purpose yards. It took a vital stop by the Kansas City defense on a fourth-and-1 early in the fourth quarter, then another on fourth-and-5 with two minutes left and Buffalo’s season hanging in the balance. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo brought the all-out blitz, and Allen was forced to heave a prayer downfield under heavy pressure.

Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid couldn’t haul it in.

From there, the Chiefs melted the clock away and a familiar scene unfolded: the celebration was on in Kansas City.

It will be the Chiefs’ fifth Super Bowl appearance in the past six seasons, and Mahomes, coach Andy Reid and tight end Travis Kelce will be shooting for their fourth title together. A win would move the franchise into a tie for the second-most Super Bowls ever, with five, behind only New England and Pittsburgh, who are tied at the top with six each.

How Kansas City got here (again)

The Chiefs will arrive in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX having defeated every opponent on their schedule. Led by Reid and Mahomes, the Chiefs also gave their fans a dream season in Arrowhead’s 52nd season: They went undefeated in all 10 home games, including the postseason.

With one game left, the Chiefs can add even more to their legacy, which will be remembered long after Reid is no longer on the sideline looking at his laminated play sheet, when Spagnuolo has stopped blitzing, when the trio of future Hall of Fame players — Mahomes, Kelce and Chris Jones — already have their gold jackets. The Chiefs will face the Eagles in the Super Bowl, a final 60 minutes, or more, to cement their place among the greatest dynasties in NFL history.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the Chiefs’ journey was how they navigated the grind of yet another long season, one that featured significant injuries to valuable contributors — receivers Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown, running back Isiah Pacheco, cornerback Jaylen Watson, defensive end Charles Omenihu and kicker Harrison Butker. The Chiefs still won 15 games in the regular season, victories in which they scored 30 or fewer points, the most in NFL history.

The Chiefs outlasted the Bills and the Houston Texans largely because almost every veteran, except for Rice, returned for the postseason run. The Chiefs entered the playoffs as the AFC’s healthiest and most-rested team, ingredients that gave them a sizable advantage on their path to New Orleans. — Nate Taylor, Chiefs staff writer

WHEELS STILL SPINNIN’‼️ pic.twitter.com/p9L7w06KQ3

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 27, 2025

Bills exceed expectations but this loss is a bitter pill

Lowered preseason expectations don’t matter when you reach the AFC Championship Game.

The Bills were on the cusp of a Super Bowl appearance. Losing so late in the tournament — and to that opponent — is disheartening.

But the Bills weren’t supposed to get this far when everyone was predicting what would happen in 2024. Even fans were cautious and perhaps a little pessimistic after the club moved on from so many important players, including several captains: receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis, center Mitch Morse, cornerback Tre’Davious White and safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde.

Once it was clear general manager Brandon Beane wouldn’t sign a whopper free agent or trade up for a receiver, everyone wondered where the offensive production and leadership would come from. Analysts had little trouble forecasting the AFC East would belong to the New York Jets or Miami Dolphins.

As such, Bills Mafia can rationalize this defeat easier than previous eliminations. Aside from a vocal, malcontented minority, grumpy fans won’t call for Sean McDermott to lose his job as loudly as they did after 13 Seconds. These Bills exceeded expectations.

But they bowed to the Chiefs yet again, a stinging trend. Buffalo has enjoyed lopsided success over Kansas City in the regular season — even at Arrowhead Stadium — but has been unable to win when the stakes are dearest. For five years, Reid and Mahomes have been the measuring stick, and for five years, Buffalo has come up short. — Tim Graham, Buffalo senior writer

Buffalo’s bright future

The Bills, however, showed fascinating growth. Moving on from Diggs had the desired effect of addition by subtraction. Allen evolved as the no-doubt organizational leader teams dream about from their quarterback. His numbers weren’t as flashy as Lamar Jackson’s, but Allen is a deserving MVP as a one-man show who clinched a fifth straight AFC East crown with five games to spare.

Receiver stats were so smeared around that Mack Hollins’ five receiving TDs led the team. Top target Khalil Shakir ranked 27th in catches and 40th in yards leaguewide. Tight ends Dawson Knox and Kincaid weren’t nearly as productive as anticipated. James Cook rushed for an amazing 16 touchdowns, but he touched the ball less than he did a year earlier.

Buffalo’s nickel-based defense also grew with first-time play caller Bobby Babich. Takeaways were ridiculously abundant. Stopping the run was a concern for much of the season, and the pass rush disappeared at times. The Bills ranked 22nd in yards per play, but they also played with the lead so often that their bend-don’t-break philosophy was wise. Overall, though, the defense was good.

The season went smoothly. There were no crazy injury circumstances, no off-field scandals, no in-season firings. Refreshingly, 2024 was all about football players and football games. The most fascinating development was the Week 7 trade for receiver Amari Cooper, a five-time Pro Bowler.

The offseason has gone well already. The most notable bit of turbulence would have been offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s departure for a head-coaching gig, but he’ll be back in 2025. Brady withdrew from the New Orleans Saints’ coaching search Saturday and committed to returning. Brady has been marvelous since taking over for Ken Dorsey two months into the 2023 campaign.

Despite another loss to the Chiefs blocking the Super Bowl path, the Bills’ championship window remains wide open. A soft reset turned into a dominant campaign that contributed to Jets owner Woody Johnson firing his coach and GM, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft firing his hand-picked Bill Belichick successor after one season and Dolphins owner Stephen Ross dealing with his biggest star wanting out because of all the losing.

So 2024 wasn’t the Bills’ time. But this organization’s time isn’t up. Not nearly. — Graham

Required reading

 

(Photo: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)