This was supposedly the year the Kansas City Chiefs were vulnerable.
Their offense was a far cry from its usual self as the Chiefs routinely relied on its defense week in and week out. Patrick Mahomes’ weapons repeatedly let him down with the most drops in league. They went 4-4 over their final eight game despite playing a relatively weak schedule.
Yet here they are again, reaching their sixth-straight conference championship game after upsetting the Bills, 27-24.
It’s the second-longest streak in NFL history behind the Patriots, who made it eight-straight times between 2011-18. The Chiefs have had mixed results in their previous five conference championships, going 3-2 straight up and against the spread. However, this marks their first time playing it outside Arrowhead Stadium
Sunday’s game in Buffalo marked Patrick Mahomes’ first ever road game, and he aced the test. He finished 17-for-23 for 215 yards and a pair of touchdowns for a 131.6 passer rating while carrying the ball six times for 19 yards.
Perhaps most encouraging is that it was arguably the offense’s best performance of the year. They scored on five of their first six drives, with the only exception a kneel down to end the half. They punted only once all game, and sealed the game late with punishing runs to burn the clock down to zero.
Kansas City hasn’t played many games as a ‘road dog in the Mahomes era, but it’s had marked success. The Chiefs are 7-3 straight up and 8-1-1 against the spread following Sunday’s win over the bills. It’s a promising sign ahead of next week’s game in Baltimore. The Ravens are early 3.5-point favorites, which is a pivotal number for Baltimore. Lamar Jackson's 22-6 ATS as a favorite of 3 points or less or an underdog compared to 22-31 in all other games.
