4 reasons why the Kansas City Chiefs are back in the AFC Championship

The Kansas City Chiefs are going back to the AFC Championship for the 6th consecutive year. K.C. squeaked out a narrow 27-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills Sunday night when the Bills missed a field goal wide right with under two minutes to play.

The Divisional Round game between the Chiefs and Bills was a game where both teams made several amazing plays, but also squandered opportunities to take control of the game. In the end, Kansas City improved to 3-0 against Buffalo in the postseason, and Patrick Mahomes proved that he could go on the road in the playoffs and still get a win.

Despite the 2023 season being a bit of a down year for the Chiefs based on the high standard they have set for themselves during the Patrick Mahomes era, the team now finds themselves in the same spot they have in every other season that Mahomes has been the starting quarterback, playing a game that could send them to the Super Bowl.

I believe there were four key reasons that the Chiefs were able to pull this game off and advance to the AFC Championship Game to face the Baltimore Ravens. None of those reasons bigger than this first one.

1. The Chiefs Didn't Let Their Mistakes Break Them

There were multiple times in this game where it felt like the Chiefs let the game slip away from them. In those moments a lot of teams will fold under the pressure. To the Chiefs' credit, that didn't happen in this game. Instead, the Chiefs continued to fight and found a way to come away with the win.

The most glaring example of this was the Mecole Hardman fumbled into the end zone. The Chiefs were driving down and poised to take a 10-point lead in the second half when Hardman fumbled the ball at the goal line. Should Andy Reid have called that play instead of a power run up the middle on 1st down? No, of course not. Should Hardman have reached the ball out on 1st down like that? No, of course not. The Chiefs could have turned on each other in that moment. They could have crumbled mentally and it could have (and maybe should have) been the turning point in the game, but it wasn't.

There were several other moments that we could mention as well, but the other big one that stands out was Josh Allen's fumble on their final drive that Chamarri Conner could have fallen on. Instead, he tried to pick it up to run with it and ended up giving the Bills another shot to win the game when he missed it. Again, the defense could have folded at that point, but they continued to fight (more on that in a minute).

The bottom line is that the Chiefs had multiple plays and points in this game when they could have folded, but they refused to quit and that is a huge reason they were able to get the win.

Next up, let's talk about that defense.

2. The Chiefs Defense Made Plays Down The Stretch

The Chiefs defense had their worst game of the year for the better part of three quarters on Sunday night. They allowed the Bills to score on four of their first five possessions and were getting manhandled at the line of scrimmage. Yes, some of it was Josh Allen making incredible plays, but the tackling was terrible and the defense couldn't find a way to get off the field. That all changed on the final three Bills possessions of the game.

The Chiefs defense came up clutch in the fourth quarter as they forced a three and out that turned into a turnover on downs when the Bills tried a fake punt (more on that later). Then in one of the biggest moments of the game, they forced another three and out following the Mecole Hardman fumble out of the end zone. That was one of the most clutch stops of this season. Finally, with the game on the line they were able to hold the Bills to a long field goal attempt on a cold windy night in Buffalo and the rest is history.

I should also point out that the defense forced that long field goal attempt after they missed a chance to recover Josh Allen's fumble and put the game away. That was another time where the defense refused to crumble when a lot of other teams would have, especially after all their struggles early in the game. Overall the Chiefs were once again able to tighten things up in the 2nd half and slow the opposing team down. In fact, it turns out no other defense in the league faired as well against the Bills in the second half this season.

The defense may have had a rough time early on, but their toughness late in the game when they had every excuse to be mentally and physically exhausted was impressive and another huge reason KC won and advanced.

Now let's talk about the offense.

3. The Chiefs Offensive Playmakers Showed Up For This Game

The Chiefs' offense has been incredibly frustrating all season. Despite boasting one of the greatest offensive-minded coaches in NFL history, the best quarterback in the game, and the best pass-catching tight end in NFL history, the Chiefs offense has struggled to move the ball consistently and get points on the board. Thankfully, their playmakers showed up for this game.

Patrick Mahomes answered the call versus the Bills, going 17 of 23 for 215 yards with 2 touchdowns and no turnovers. Travis Kelce had his biggest game in what feels like ages, going for 75 yards and two touchdowns. Isiah Pacheco was huge once again for the Chiefs with 111 total yards and a touchdown. Even Marquez Valdes-Scantling finally made an impact with two big catches for 62 yards.

The Chiefs may not have been perfect on offense, but they looked like the offense of previous Super Bowl years for much of the game. Putting up 27 points against the Bills in Buffalo in the playoffs is no small accomplishment, even with Buffalo's injuries. If K.C.'s offense hadn't stepped up and made plays, there is no way they could have survived the early struggles by the defense.

While the Ravens' defense will be a huge test next week, if Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce continue to look like the versions of themselves from previous playoff runs, it gives the Chiefs a chance against anyone. You throw in a heavy dose of Isisah Pacheco and some big plays to guys like Rashee Rice and the Chiefs are a threat again on offense. It's crazy to say, but there was reason to doubt if that would be the case through much of this season. It's nice to see the Chiefs' offense getting back on track at just the right time.

Finally, let's talk about one final "special" reason KC is going to the AFC Championship again.

4. The Chiefs Special Teams Were Clutch

On a night when the Bills missed a field goal to tie the game with under two minutes to play, the Chiefs' special teams came through big for them.

First and foremost, Harrison Butker has been clutch all season long, and that continued Sunday night when he nailed both his field goal attempts, including a 47-yarder going the same direction as Tyler Bass's 44-yard miss on a cold windy night in Buffalo.

The other key moment that could easily be overlooked was the fake punt stop. The Chiefs didn't seem fooled at all and the fake wasn't even close to picking up the yards needed. That's a great job by Dave Toub to have his guys ready and watching for a fake. If Buffalo had picked that up and gone on to get points on that drive it could have completely changed the game.

While the Chiefs may not have turned that stop into points, it did seem to be a turning point for the defense and that may not have been the case if the special teams didn't make that stop.

So there you have it Chiefs fans, the four main reasons the Chiefs are headed back to the AFC Championship Game. It's hard to believe that after years of wanting to see the Chiefs just win A playoff game, KC fans will now get to see their team play a game to go to the Super Bowl for a sixth consecutive year. I hope fans aren't taking these memories for granted because this is an amazing era of Chiefs football that we will likely never see again in our lifetimes.