Originally posted on Sportsnaut | By Vincent Frank | Last updated 1/24/21
The Kansas City Chiefs are headed back to the Super Bowl following a brilliant 38-24 win over the Buffalo Bills in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game.
Patrick Mahomes had it going big time, finding connections with Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill throughout the game. Meanwhile, Kansas City’s defense put a ton of pressure on Josh Allen throughout the evening.
In the end, the Chiefs overcame an early 9-0 deficit to win this game going away. Here are the biggest winners and losers from the AFC Championship Game as the Chiefs prepare for Super Bowl LV against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Winner: Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce show out for Kansas City Chiefs
This five-time Pro Bowl performer entered Sunday’s AFC Championship Game on an absolute roll, having recorded 64 receptions for 947 yards with 11 total touchdowns in his previous nine outings. Already seen as one of the most-electric players in the game, Hill was back up to his old tricks on Sunday.
That’s just your ho-hum 71-yard catch-and-run. It also set up a Chiefs touchdown late in the third quarter for a 31-15 lead over Buffalo. All said, Hill recorded nine catches for 172 yards in yet another brilliant all-around performance from Cheetah. The dude is just too good.
As for Kelce, he broke the single-game playoff record for catches from a tight end. The All-Pro performer hauled in a whopping 13 passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Much like Hill, this tight end has been on a roll recently. Including Sunday’s game, he’s caught 86 passes for 1,142 yards in his past 10 outings. That’s just insane.
Loser: Buffalo Bills red-zone offense
After opening up a 9-0 lead in the first quarter, things were looking good for Sean McDermott’s squad. Unfortunately, the team just couldn’t get out of its own way in the red zone after scoring a first-quarter touchdown. Buffalo’s next two drives inside the Chiefs’ 20 resulted in field goals. The drives went for 73 and 67 yards, respectively, and ended on chip-shot field goals inside the Chiefs’ 10.
That just can’t happen against Kansas City’s high-powered offense. Trading field goals for touchdowns is never a recipe for success. Add in Patrick Mahomes’ presence, and this is magnified even further. It’s also important to note that the blame can be placed in several directions. From Josh Allen’s struggles to McDermott failing to go for it on fourth down multiple times, this is what cost the Bills Sunday evening at Arrowhead.
Winner: Patrick Mahomes’ brilliance
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