The Kansas City Chiefs’ 27-24 Divisional Spherical victory over the Buffalo Bills concludes one other chapter in one of many NFL’s finest present rivalries. The 2 groups lived as much as the hype as soon as once more, as Sunday’s outcomes marked the fourth consecutive time that the winner between them was determined by six factors or fewer. Regardless of his staff popping out on prime with one other postseason victory, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid started his press convention with excessive reward for Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott.
“All-time traditional once more,” Reid described Sunday evening’s sport. “Each time we play one in every of [Bills’ head coach] Sean (McDermott’s) groups, it comes proper right down to the tip. He’s achieved an outstanding job right here and an outstanding job this yr — like Coach of the Yr stage teaching. If we don’t play them once more, I’m good with that.”
The hard-fought sport between the 2 high-powered offenses featured 5 lead modifications all through the evening. Nevertheless, after taking a three-point lead within the fourth quarter, the Chiefs may shut the Payments out for the remainder of the sport and safe the victory, a lot to Coach Reid’s delight.
“I’m so happy with our guys and the job that they did,” Reid stated with a smile. “Only one heck of a job. The sidelines have been so optimistic, which I believed was essential on this sport. We knew it was going to be a decent sport simply due to the caliber staff they’ve received and it was. Our guys simply saved their composure via the highs and the lows of the sport.”
Sunday’s sport was additionally vital because it marked the staff’s first playoff highway victory below quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Whereas he downplayed the concept of it being the staff’s precise first highway playoff sport, Mahomes was nonetheless happy with the best way the staff got here collectively to win in a hostile setting.
“I feel the fellows took it as a problem,” he noticed. “Clearly, we performed within the Super Bowl in Tampa Bay. We misplaced that one. I don’t wish to carry that one up, however I imply we’ve mainly performed mainly in highway playoff video games earlier than. We simply are available with the identical mindset. We’re going to return collectively, put our greatest foot ahead and see if we are able to come out with a win. That takes the mentality all through the week, it takes each single play executing, and we did a fantastic job of that in the present day and we have been capable of rating sufficient to win.”
Being the competitor that he’s, nonetheless, Mahomes revealed that as a lot as he loves taking part in in entrance of the house crowd, he was simply as excited to get a highway win in entrance of a raucous Buffalo crowd.
“Actually, it wasn’t even like a unfavorable factor,” Mahomes admitted. “It was going to be a fantastic setting. Being in right here in Buffalo, I heard about it. Clearly, I performed right here, however not with the followers. I knew the followers have been going to be rowdy. It’s going to be hostile. However you admire the greatness of organizations and going week in and week out packing the stadium and being followers. That’s what it’s all about, and so, I clearly love taking part in at Arrowhead, however it’s cool to go on the highway in a playoff sport and have the ability to come out to win.”
Mahomes got here via on Sunday evening with one in every of his extra environment friendly performances of the season. Whereas his stats weren’t precisely eye-popping for his requirements (17-of-23 for 215 yards and two touchdowns), Mahomes confirmed full management of the offense by efficiently main them down the sector and taking regardless of the protection sport him.
This consists of a number of seems to tight finish Travis Kelce. Whereas Kelce completed the sport with 5 receptions for 75 yards, his two touchdowns engraved his title, alongside Mahomes, into the postseason file books.
“We at all times emphasize getting the ball to Travis (Kelce) however passing something that has (Tom) Brady and [Rob Gronkowski] in it’s particular,” Mahomes defined. These are two of the best gamers — Tom is the best participant and [Gronkowski] is likely one of the biggest tight ends of all time. So to be talked about in that, and passing that, you admire it.
“It speaks to Travis and his work. With the ability to go on the market and make performs in huge video games. We at all times emphasize getting Travis the ball. He did a fantastic job of getting himself open, after which as soon as they began placing a number of consideration on him, different guys like (Marques Valdes-Scantling) made performs. So, that’s what it takes. It takes everyone. All people has received to make performs so as to win playoff video games.”
Regardless of a tumultuous – and at occasions very irritating – season, the Chiefs now discover themselves again to the place they’ve been for the previous six years in a row: the AFC Championship sport. With only one win away from securing their spot on this yr’s Tremendous Bowl, the Chiefs head again dwelling to organize for subsequent weekend’s sport towards the No. 1-seeded Baltimore Ravens.
“You admire it, you actually do,” Mahomes stated. “To be part of this group, and to be within the AFC championship sport, that’s what you attempt to do each single season. It’s why you’re employed in OTA’s, why you’re employed out within the offseason and grind each single day. We all know it’s going to be a fantastic problem, however our objective is to get to the Tremendous Bowl. That’s going to take every little thing now we have this subsequent week as a result of it’s a fantastic Ravens staff that we’re going up towards.”
