The thrilling AFC Divisional Round matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs showed that the NFL could have its next great quarterback rivalry.
Gidget AlikpalaG_AlikpalaUpdate: Jan 24th, 2022 07:58 EST
JAMIE SQUIREAFP
Sunday’s AFC Divisional Round matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs that ran into overtime was an instant classic that saw stellar performances from the team’s quarterbacks.
It was the fourth time KC’s Patrick Mahomes and Buffalo’s Josh Allen went toe-to-toe in two seasons, and their meeting lived up to and even exceeded expectations.
Perfect match
Mahomes and Allen delivered numbers that were almost identical– the Chiefs’ quarterback with 378 passing yards, 69 rushing yards, and four touchdowns, and the Bills’ signal caller with 329 passing yards, 68 rushing yards, and four touchdowns.
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The heart-stopping game saw the lead swinging back and forth, with both young quarterbacks one-upping each other down to the wire.
The Chiefs eventually won 42-36 on the first possession during overtime, bringing the team to their fourth AFC Championship in a row. It was a heart-breaking loss for 25-year-old Allen, as he was hoping to bounce back from last year’s loss at the AFC Championship at the hands of the same team.
The 26-year-old Mahomes sought out his counterpart after the game to give him an embrace and some slaps on the back, a scene that highlighted their mutual respect. It was a meaningful moment, and could have marked a transition in terms of an era-defining rivalry.
.@PatrickMahomes left the celebration and ran across the whole field to find @JoshAllenQB.Ultimate respect for these competitors. #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/T5uEk4OXty
— NFL (@NFL) January 24, 2022
The old guard
Veteran quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers and Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are both out of playoff contention after being booted out this weekend, the first time since 2009 that neither of them will be seeing action in a Conference Championship match.
This is wild 😱 pic.twitter.com/Gmv48JULz2
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 23, 2022
⚡ When you have a bad weekend…#nfl #nflplayoffs pic.twitter.com/QzLaaLk1KR
— AS USA (@English_AS) January 24, 2022
