The Kansas City Chiefs have done it again, bound for their third consecutive Super Bowl appearance after winning 32-29 in a fierce AFC Championship matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Throughout most of the game, the score was close between the two teams until the final minutes. If the Chiefs go on to win the Super Bowl, they will become the first NFL team in history to win three Super Bowls in a row.
The Chiefs were ready at the start, covering 90 yards in 9 plays for a touchdown by running back Kareem Hunt and ending the first quarter 7-3. By halftime, the Chiefs were still leading 21-16. At the end of the third quarter, the Bills were up 22-21. This did not last long. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes responded with a 10-yard dash, his second touchdown of the night. The score changed 29-22, Chiefs.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen and running back James Cook quickly fired back, bringing the Bills into Chief territory. Wide receiver Mack Hollins also contributed by making an impressive 32-yard gain. Wide receiver Curtis Samuel caught a fourth-down pass from Allen into the endzone, tying the game 29-29. This game was becoming too close for comfort with six minutes on the clock in the fourth quarter.
Mahomes couldn’t get the Chiefs back into the endzone, instead settling for a 32-yard field goal made by kicker Harrison Butker. Three minutes remained on the clock and the score was 32-29, Chiefs. This was the first time the Chiefs scored over 30 points this season. Despite their efforts, the Bills couldn’t catch up. Allen’s incomplete pass to tight end Dalton Kincaid on the 4th & 5 marked the end of the road for the Bills.
Soon after the game, controversies spread about the referees favoring the Chiefs. This idea of referee prejudice is nothing new. The Chiefs have attended seven consecutive AFC Championship games and won three of their four Super Bowls in the past 5 seasons. Their success seems almost too good to be true.
One instance during the Chiefs vs Bills game that caused controversy was the Bill’s 4th-and-1 “tush push” from Kansas City’s 41-yard line. With 13 minutes in the fourth quarter and in the lead, the Bills needed to get to the 40-yard line. Allen went straight down the middle, being stopped by the Chiefs defense as his teammates pushed him forward. It appeared the ball reached the 40-yard line. Yet, the refs ruled Allen short on the field due to the obstructed view of the ball. This moment changed the game. The Chiefs got ball possession and stormed down the field, scoring a touchdown, the score changing 29-22, Chiefs.
Another two times the Chiefs were believed to be favored by refs was last week during their Divisional Round matchup against the Houston Texans. The first controversial call was when Texans DE Will Anderson Jr. was flagged for hitting Mahomes too hard. This penalty proved unfair as replays showed that Anderson did not hit Mahomes on the head as claimed.
The other questionable penalty made was during the third quarter. Two Houston defenders (Folorunso Fatukasi and To’oTo’o) crashed into each other and bumped into Mahomes after he slid to avoid them. The refs called a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on To’oTo’o. Replays showed Mahomes barely being hit.
It’s not certain if referees are helping the Chiefs. Regardless, the Chiefs are Super Bowl bound again. The Philadelphia Eagles won their NFC Championship in a humiliating game for the Washington Commanders. This Super Bowl matchup between the Chiefs and Eagles could end in either a repeat of 2022’s Superbowl or the start of new beginnings. The game will be at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on February 9. Kendrick Lamar will be performing during halftime. As the title of one of Kendrick Lamar’s songs and the current state of the Chiefs team, they are simply “Not like Us.”