Chiefs discover protection at proper time to knock out Payments on street

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The sport lived as much as its billing.

Within the seventh assembly between the Buffalo Payments and Kansas Metropolis Chiefs this decade, it was the visiting Chiefs who prevailed, successful a 27-24 thriller in an AFC Divisional Playoff from frigid Buffalo. The Chiefs, taking part in of their first street playoff recreation of the Patrick Mahomes period, sealed the sport after Buffalo kicker Tyler Bass missed a would-be, game-tying 44-yard area purpose broad proper with beneath two minutes to play.

Kansas Metropolis returns to its acquainted place within the AFC Championship, the place Andy Reid’s squad will meet the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Financial institution Stadium subsequent week.

Listed below are the most important takeaways from each groups within the contest.

Kansas Metropolis Chiefs

This season’s AFC Championship Sport will not be one other version of the Arrowhead Invitational, however it can embrace the Chiefs.

The Chiefs superior to a sixth straight convention title recreation after one other of their assortment of epic playoff victories. The lead modified fingers 5 instances earlier than the Chiefs held off the Payments on their last drive.

The Chiefs will play the Baltimore Ravens subsequent Sunday within the convention title recreation. The sport shall be performed in Baltimore after the final 5 AFC Championship Video games had been performed at Arrowhead Stadium.

Eye-popping NextGen stat: In a sign of how the Chiefs had been being dealt with by the Payments when Buffalo ran the ball, the Payments by means of three quarters averaged 3.9 yards earlier than contact per rush. They had been hit at or behind the road of scrimmage on simply three of 31 dashing makes an attempt to that time. The Chiefs allowed 182 dashing yards, one cause they had been at massive deficits in time of possession and variety of performs run.

Promising pattern: The Chiefs had been lastly in a position to end some drives. Their first two scores of the sport had been area targets, and at that time 13 of their final 16 scoring drives had been area targets. Solely three resulted in touchdowns. However they had been in a position to end a drive late within the first half and one other early within the third quarter with touchdowns, each on passes from Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce. They then punched in one other drive early within the fourth interval on Isiah Pacheco’s four-yard landing run.

QB breakdown: Mahomes had one other epic playoff recreation towards the Payments within the playoffs. The Payments opted to play protection, versus placing strain on Mahomes, and he took benefit of that technique. Mahomes nonetheless was in a position to get some massive performs down the sector and completed 17-of-23 for 215 yards and a pair of touchdowns. — Adam Teicher

Buffalo Payments

The ball was in Josh Allen’s fingers to place collectively a late landing drive to offer the Payments the lead and take break day the clock.

However the Payments bought zero factors out of a 16-play, 54-yard drive when Tyler Bass’ 44-yard area purpose went broad proper following two straight Allen incompletions, handing the Chiefs’ the ball again with 1:43 left on the clock and a three-point lead that may finally finish the sport at 27-24. When the Buffalo offense wanted a drive greater than ever, they had been unable to get it. After holding a 17-13 lead, the Payments solely scored as soon as within the second half and the Buffalo protection struggled to cease the Chiefs.

The Payments had been unable to get previous the hurdle that has been Kansas Metropolis within the playoffs, falling to 0-3 within the postseason with Mahomes dealing with Allen at quarterback. The loss ends a six-game successful streak and sends the Payments into the offseason with massive inquiries to reply after shedding within the Divisional Spherical for a 3rd straight season.

Greatest gap within the recreation plan: The defensive response popping out of halftime. Even when contemplating the variety of accidents this unit has, the changes made did not work. Kansas Metropolis’s offense seemingly got here out to begin the third quarter with no points in any respect shifting the ball downfield, placing collectively consecutive 75-yard landing drives of six and eight performs to take over the lead of the sport and put the sport on the shoulders of Allen and the offense.

Promising pattern: The success of the Payments’ offensive line and rushers. The Payments operating recreation bought going early and infrequently, with its rushers not being hit at or behind the road of scrimmage on their first 15 makes an attempt and solely on three of their first 31. The success of the operating recreation allowed Buffalo to increase lengthy drives, together with 5 of 11 performs or extra, and management the time of possession all through the sport. Allen and operating backs James Prepare dinner and Ty Johnson all shined as rushers with the quarterback operating for 2 scores, tying the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts (2022) for essentially the most dashing touchdowns in a season (common season and playoffs) with 18.

Eye-popping NextGen stat: Broad receiver Khalil Shakir made a formidable catch on his 13-yard landing within the third quarter, a part of a robust recreation for the second-year participant. Simply how unlikely was the rating? Per Subsequent Gen Stats, Shakir had 0.3 yards of distance from the sideline with L’Jarius Sneed as the closest defender in protection. The reception was Sneed’s first landing allowed in protection as the closest defender since Week 15 of the 2022 season. The completion likelihood was 26%. — Alaina Getzenberg