×

Chiefs shake off Bills to advance to 6th straight AFC Championship

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) scores a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the second quarter of an NFL AFC division playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Travis Kelce caught two touchdown passes from Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs advanced to their sixth straight AFC championship game with a 27-24 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night.

Isiah Pacheco scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 4-yard run 40 seconds into the fourth quarter in a game the teams traded leads five times. The Chiefs then clinched the win by running out the clock after Buffalo’s Tyler Bass was wide right on a 44-yard field goal attempt with 1:43 remaining.

The defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs (13-6) move on to face the conference’s top-seeded Baltimore Ravens, who beat Houston 34-10 on Saturday.

Kansas City is 0-1 in the playoffs against the Ravens, following a 30-7 loss in the 2010 wild-card round. Baltimore defeated Kansas City 36-35 in their most recent regular-season matchup in Week 2 of the 2021 season.

Kansas City has never lost in the divisional round since Mahomes took over as starter in 2018, and the Chiefs have now won five consecutive playoff games since a 27-24 overtime loss to Cincinnati in the AFC championship game during the 2021 season.

Taylor Swift arrives at Highmark Stadium to watch an NFL AFC division playoff football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Mahomes, a two-time NFL MVP, can also check off another first on his record by winning his first road start in the playoffs — not counting Super Bowls — and improving his postseason mark to 13-3.

The Bills (12-7) had their third consecutive postseason end in the divisional round, following losses to Cincinnati last year and the Chiefs in 2021. And the Chiefs ended Buffalo’s season for the third time in four years, including a 38-24 decision at Kansas City in the 2020 season AFC championship game.

It was another disappointing finish for a Bills team that won its fourth consecutive AFC East title, and was on a six-game roll since a 20-17 win at Kansas City on Dec. 10.

Love was in the cold Buffalo air with Taylor Swift cheering on boyfriend Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.

And even Kelce’s brother Jason got into the act during the Chiefs’ divisional playoff game against the Bills.

Swift blew a kiss after someone greeted her by yelling, “Bills by a billion,” upon arriving at Highmark Stadium.

The pop music superstar was escorted by a heavy security presence to a suite overlooking the west end zone, and located just below the name of Bills Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy’s name on the stadium’s Wall of Fame.

Then it was Travis Kelce’s turn to show some love to Swift. After catching a 22-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, the star tight end threw the football into the crowd, then turned and made a heart gesture with his hands toward the suite where Swift was seated in the opposite corner of the stadium.

The touchdown marked the 15th time quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Kelce connected in the playoffs, matching the NFL record set by Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. Mahomes and Kelce broke the mark early in the third quarter with another TD, this one a 3-yard pass that gave Kansas City a 20-17 lead.

Among those in the suite with Swift was Jason Kelce, who was caught by cameras shirtless and holding a can of beer while celebrating his brother’s first touchdown. Kelce is the former Eagles center, who told teammates in confidence after Philadelphia’s playoff loss to Tampa Bay last week that he’s retiring after 13 seasons.

Swift arrived wearing a white jacket with red Chiefs trim, and featuring a large red star.

The 12-time Grammy Award winner has become a regular at Chiefs home and away games since the two began dating earlier this season.

Starting at $2.99/week.

Subscribe Today