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The Kansas City Chiefs moved to within one game of becoming the first team to win three successive Super Bowls with a 32-29 win over the Buffalo Bills.
The Chiefs became the first side to return to the season’s finale for a shot at a third straight title and will face the Philadelphia Eagles, who beat the Washington Commanders 55-23, in Super Bowl LIX.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 245 yards and a touchdown in a close AFC Championship game, adding two more rushing scores.
The teams traded touchdowns, Buffalo tying it up when Josh Allen found Curtis Samuel from four yards with more than six minutes remaining.
Mahomes set up Harrison Butker’s field goal with just over three-and-a-half minutes on the clock to put the Chiefs ahead.
Allen came up short on the fourth down, his long throw narrowly missing Dalton Kincaid, and the Chiefs were able to see out the clock.
Allen threw for 237 yards and two scores for Buffalo. James Cook ran for 85 yards and two touchdowns of his own.
It was the fourth time since 2021 that the Chiefs ended the Bills’ season in the post-season..
The Chiefs will head to New Orleans for a meeting with the Eagles, who they beat in the Super Bowl two years ago.
Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley both rushed for three touchdowns as the Eagles thrashed the Washington Commanders 55-23 in the NFC Championship.
Quarterback Hurts also threw a touchdown pass to AJ Brown as the Eagles took full advantage of some costly turnovers and penalties to reach their second Super Bowl in three years.
After a lengthy opening drive only yielded a field goal for the Commanders, Barkley took the Eagles’ first play from scrimmage for a 60-yard touchdown run, breaking a number of weak tackle attempts on his way to the end zone.
Washington receiver Dyami Brown’s fumble led to Barkley’s second touchdown of the game from much closer range, the running back scoring from four yards to cap off a 48-yard drive after Brown had coughed up the ball near the sideline.
The Commanders responded in style as Jayden Daniels hit Terry McLaurin for a 36-yard touchdown, but Austin Ekeler was stopped short on the two-point conversion attempt.
A frantic end to the first half saw the Eagles gifted two chances for points which were both gratefully accepted, the first coming after Marshon Lattimore was penalised for pass interference on DeVonta Smith in the end zone.
That meant the ball was placed on the one-yard line and Hurts was easily pushed across the goal line in what has become known as the “Brotherly Shove” – a reference to Philadelphia’s nickname of the City of Brotherly Love.
To make matters worse, Jeremy McNichols fumbled on the kick-off return and on the ensuing Eagles drive, cornerback Mike Sainristil was flagged for unnecessary roughness for hitting Barkley as he went out of bounds.
That gave Philadelphia a free first down which eventually turned into a four-yard touchdown pass from Hurts to Brown.
Hurts and Daniels exchanged rushing touchdowns in the third quarter before the Eagles pulled away in the fourth, Hurts getting shoved into the end zone from a matter of inches after the Commanders conceded numerous penalties attempting to anticipate the snap.
Barkley scored in a more conventional manner from four yards out to match his quarterback’s tally and give the Eagles the luxury of taking their two stars out of the firing line, with rookie Will Shipley also getting on the scoresheet from close range after a 59-yard run earlier in the drive.
