5 takeaways from Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game win vs. Bills
The Kansas City Chiefs are back-to-back winners of the AFC conference championship, defeating the Buffalo Bills 38-24. This was the most complete game fans have seen from this team this year as they dominated throughout most of the game despite having been down 9-0 to start the game. The Chiefs are now one win away from repeating as Super Bowl champions.
Here are five takeaways from the Chiefs’ victory in the AFC Championship Game:
Patrick Mahomes outplayed Josh Allen
AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes
Going into the game Josh Allen was getting a lot of attention as one of the top QB’s in the league. That statement is probably true, but he isn’t Patrick Mahomes’ equal. That's not an insult to Allen either, as he had a great season, Mahomes is just a once in a lifetime player. The Chiefs’ quarterback looked much more comfortable down the stretch in this one, while Allen seemed flustered especially when the game started to slip away. Mahomes also had more yards, touchdowns and did a better job escaping pressure for a nearly flawless performance. Keep in mind that he was hampered by a toe injury too. There will likely always be some narrative of an AFC quarterback being an equivalent of Mahomes, but we haven't seen it yet. Last year it was Lamar Jackson, while this year it was Josh Allen. Both have fallen short and it still looks like the AFC will be the Chiefs to lose as long as Mahomes is around.
Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill able to carry the load
AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann
Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce came to play against the Buffalo Bills. They were both named Chiefs Wire’s Co-Offensive Players of the Game, breaking franchise records in the process. Kelce had the most receptions in a playoff game with 13, while Hill had the most receiving yards in a game with 175. They both also accounted for 290 of Kansas City’s 325 passing yards showing they can handle the load even without Sammy Watkins on the field. Two weeks in a row now without Watkins, both Hill and Kelce have seen more than 100 yards each. Even if Watkins can't play in Super Bowl LV, Chiefs fans should feel confident that the offense will still find ways to be successful. The same goes for Watkins potentially leaving in free agency this offseason.
Mecole Hardman able to bounce back
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The second-year wide receiver had a rough start to the game, with his first touch being a muffed punt. It helped give the Bills an early touchdown score and a 9-0 lead in the first quarter. It would have very easy for Mecole Hardman to get down on himself, but instead, he was able to come up with a couple of big plays to get the Chiefs' offense going. He scored Kansas City’s first touchdown of the night and then had a 50-yard run on the next possession. This was a great job by the Chiefs' coaching staff, keeping him involved instead of just sitting him after his mistake. It’s easy to get down on Hardman considering he hasn’t lived up to certain fan expectations this season, but he’s come up big two years in a row now in the playoffs. He has that speed and big-play ability to help overcome the early deficits. Maybe this was the spark that he needed to claim a bigger role in the offense moving forward.
Outstanding effort by the defense
Kansas City’s defense just had their best performance of the season is too much for Josh Allen and the Bills to handle. Buffalo struggled to get into the endzone only scoring two touchdowns with one being in short field position because of Hardman’s muffed punt. Otherwise, the Bills had to settle for field goals, which is a recipe for defeat when facing this Chiefs team. The Chiefs also had four sacks on Josh Allen and even were able to get a big interception in the red zone. Similar to last season they are getting hot at the right time and will be a big help facing a good Buccaneers offense in the NFL.
Frank Clark continues to come up big in the Playoffs
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Playoff Frank Clark is starting to become a thing again, as he came up big for the defense in the AFC title game. He notched two of the Chiefs four sacks on the night. He was also our Chiefs Wire Defensive Player of the Game, for his ability to make Josh Allen uncomfortable all night. During the regular season, fans were often frustrated with Clark not getting to the quarterback. They thought he might be overpaid, given his slight production. However, he was huge last year in the playoffs and yesterday. Players that show up in the biggest of moments can't be underestimated and you certainly can't place a number on their worth. If he can come up big again in the Super Bowl there will be no denying that Brett Veach made the right decision bringing him in two offseason’s ago.
