Sunday's game lived up to hype. I've spent 3 days processing it. Though I went in partial to Kansas City, I understood that Buffalo was a formidable matchup. If one thing's for certain, it's that both the AFC and NFC Championships were stacked with true talent and teams that you don't want to underestimate.
In my post about the NFC Championship, I said the defenses were the true superstars. I'm here to tell you that the AFC's offenses had a spectacular postseason. Not just for the Chiefs, either; the Bills absolutely lived up to their hype. There's nothing short of excitement to accompany Buffalo's rise to success after years in the shadows. With QB Josh Allen at the helm and Sean McDermott behind the headset, the 13-3 Bills charged forward victory after victory to secure their first AFC Championship appearance in 27 years.
All that said, Patrick Mahomes did outplay Josh Allen on Sunday. Quick look at their game stats here:
Mahomes scored 3 TDs, Allen scored 2.
Mahomes had a 76% passing completion rate, Allen had 58%.
Mahomes had 0 interceptions, 1 sack. Allen was intercepted twice and took 2 sacks.
Quarterback stats don't always equate to wins but, when you're looking at two offense-dominated teams, they often play a big role. And in this case, they did.
Fourth-Quarter Drama
Despite the Bills leading by 3 points in the very beginning, that lead didn't stick. The Chiefs' offense had a total of 439 yards (325 passing) vs The Bills' 363 yards (234 passing). Both defenses gained a turnover for their respective teams (a fumble for KC and a pick for Buffalo). Most of the Bills' points were scored in the second half, in a desperate attempt to recover their chances at a Super Bowl berth, but they came up short.
Then things got heated.
In the fourth quarter, after victory was already eminent for the Chiefs, Josh Allen suffered an 18-yard loss from a final sack by Tanoh Kpassagnon. I remember watching the game, thinking "Man, why you gotta add insult to injury? They're already losing." But it didn't stop there.
A frustrated Josh Allen reached over and threw the football at the face of KC DE Alex Okafor. Pushing and shoving ensued from both teams. Ultimately, Allen was called with a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. For the remaining 3 minutes, you could've cut the tension with a butter knife.
Regarding the incident, Allen expressed regret for the way he played. “The way it ended doesn’t sit right with me with how chippy and ticky tack it got," he said, "I’m disappointed in myself. I let my emotions get to me there. That’s not how you’re supposed to play football.”
Allen also has high hopes for next season. Talking to reporters after the AFC Championship he said, "It's going to fuel us. I got no doubt in my mind that we will be back."
The Kansas City Chiefs, who just won their second AFC Championship in a row, are heading to the Super Bowl to face Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I find this radical for a few reasons: 1) Patrick Mahomes was in kindergarten during Brady's first-ever Super Bowl win, and 2) The Chiefs lost to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at the 2018 AFC Championship. Basically, it's the rematch of a lifetime.
Mahomes and Brady have a healthy competitive history, too. After the playoff game that they lost, Chiefs HC Andy Reid said that Brady went to their locker room to find Mahomes and offer the young quarterback a word of encouragement.
Since the Chiefs vs Bucs matchup was sealed on Sunday evening, Andy Reid said, "It seems like we’ve had a couple of (Mahomes-Brady matchups) and every one of them is tremendous, and I wouldn’t expect this to be any different. They’ve got a tremendous team there and those two have a lot of respect for each other."
As if that wasn't the icing on the cake, Patrick Mahomes had his own respectful and witty thoughts on the face-off: “To go up against one of the greatest, if not the greatest quarterback of all-time in his 150th Super Bowl is gonna be a great experience."
2020 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME BY THE STATS
THE CHIEFS.
Travis Kelce, the league's best TE, received for 118 yards and made 2 TDs.
WR Mecole Hardman scored a TD and WR Tyreek Hill, nicknamed "The Cheetah," rushed for 172 yards and completed 9 receptions.
RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who'd been questionable leading up to the game due to an ankle injury, rushed 7 yards and gained 1 TD.
RB Darrell Williams rushed for 52 yards and scored a TD
L'Jarius Sneed and Tanoh Kpassagnon each sacked Josh Allen once. Frank Clark sacked him twice.
Harrison Butker made all 4 PATs and 1 field goal
THE BILLS.
TE Dawson Knox caught 6 passes for 42 yards receiving and made 1 TD
WR Cole Beasley, playing with a broken fibula, received 7 passes with 88 total receiving yards.
WR Stefon Diggs, arguably Allen's right-hand man, received 6 passes with 77 total receiving yards.
WR Isaiah McKenzie caught 6 passes for 6 yards and 1 TD
Tyler Bass made all 4 field goals but missed his PAT.
All in all, both teams had a fantastic season and I'm expecting nothing less from them next year. Who knows, maybe Buffalo will make a Super Bowl return for the ages and change history forever. When it happens, we'll be watching.