The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ 27-24 Divisional Spherical victory over the Buffalo Payments 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 workforce popping out on high 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 night time’s recreation. “Each time we play one among [Bills’ head coach] Sean (McDermott’s) groups, it comes proper right down to the top. He’s carried out an outstanding job right here and an outstanding job this yr — like Coach of the 12 months degree teaching. If we don’t play them once more, I’m good with that.”
The hard-fought recreation between the 2 high-powered offenses featured 5 lead adjustments all through the night time. Nonetheless, 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 pleased with our guys and the job that they did,” Reid mentioned with a smile. “Only one heck of a job. The sidelines have been so constructive, which I believed was necessary on this recreation. We knew it was going to be a good recreation simply due to the caliber workforce they’ve acquired and it was. Our guys simply stored their composure by way of the highs and the lows of the sport.”
Sunday’s recreation was additionally vital because it marked the workforce’s first playoff street victory underneath quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Whereas he downplayed the concept of it being the workforce’s precise first street playoff recreation, Mahomes was nonetheless pleased with the way in which the workforce got here collectively to win in a hostile setting.
“I believe the blokes took it as a problem,” he noticed. “Clearly, we performed within the Tremendous Bowl in Tampa Bay. We misplaced that one. I don’t prefer to deliver that one up, however I imply we’ve mainly performed mainly in street playoff video games earlier than. We simply are available in with the identical mindset. We’re going to come back collectively, put our greatest foot ahead and see if we will come out with a win. That takes the mentality all through the week, it takes each single play executing, and we did an incredible 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 enjoying in entrance of the house crowd, he was simply as excited to get a street win in entrance of a raucous Buffalo crowd.
“Truthfully, it wasn’t even like a destructive factor,” Mahomes admitted. “It was going to be an incredible 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 enjoying at Arrowhead, however it’s cool to go on the street in a playoff recreation and have the ability to come out to win.”
Mahomes got here by way of on Sunday night time with one among 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 sphere and taking regardless of the protection recreation him.
This consists of a whole lot of seems to tight finish Travis Kelce. Whereas Kelce completed the sport with 5 receptions for 75 yards, his two touchdowns engraved his identify, alongside Mahomes, into the postseason file books.
“We all the time 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 without doubt 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. Having the ability to go on the market and make performs in massive video games. We all the time emphasize getting Travis the ball. He did an incredible job of getting himself open, after which as soon as they began placing a whole lot of consideration on him, different guys like (Marques Valdes-Scantling) made performs. So, that’s what it takes. It takes all people. All people has acquired to make performs with the intention to win playoff video games.”
Regardless of a tumultuous – and at instances 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 recreation. 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 recreation towards the No. 1-seeded Baltimore Ravens.
“You admire it, you actually do,” Mahomes mentioned. “To be part of this group, and to be within the AFC championship recreation, 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 an incredible problem, however our purpose is to get to the Tremendous Bowl. That’s going to take the whole lot we’ve got this subsequent week as a result of it’s an incredible Ravens workforce that we’re going up towards.”
