Yes, please.
Sign us up for 15 to 20 more years of what the Bills and Chiefs gave us in Sunday night’s AFC divisional playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium, because it was a gift.
This was one of those games that truly warranted no loser.
The game was that good, that dizzying, that scintillating. It featured two of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the game, two players who refused to lose — Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Buffalo’s Josh Allen.
This was the best the NFL has to offer, and it was a beautiful look into a future of many more meetings between these two teams and quarterbacks.
When it was over — and of course it took overtime — the Chiefs were the last team standing on this positively perfectly epic night of football, winning 42-36 and advancing to their fourth consecutive AFC Championship game.
The Chiefs (12-5) will host the Bengals in the conference title game next Sunday, and both teams will be hard-pressed to come close to delivering or duplicating what the Bills and Chiefs did Sunday.
The Chiefs didn’t as much win the game when Patrick Mahomes connected with Travis Kelce with the walk-off touchdown 4:15 into the extra period as they did when they won the coin toss before overtime.
The last quarterback with the ball in his hands was going to win the game.
The Chiefs never let the Bills touch the ball in overtime, driving down the field and winning it on Mahomes’ scoring pass to Kelce.
“To be in this moment against that team and to make a play to walk off at Arrowhead … I’ll remember that the rest of my life, I’ll remember it forever,’’ Mahomes said.
Kansas City forced overtime with a 49-yard field goal by Harrison Butker that tied the game at 36-36 on the final play of regulation.
That field goal was made possible after Mahomes — against all odds with 13 seconds remaining in regulation — drove the offense from its own 25-yard line to the Buffalo 31 in a mere 10 seconds, sending Butker onto the field with three seconds remaining.
There were 13 seconds remaining in regulation when Allen connected with receiver Gabriel Davis on a 19-yard scoring strike that gave Buffalo a 36-33 lead. It was Davis’ fourth touchdown reception of the game, an NFL playoff record.
That score came after the Chiefs had taken a 32-29 lead with 1:02 remaining in regulation on a 64-yard scoring pass from Mahomes (32 of 43, 370 yards) to Tyreek Hill.
“I always have got faith every time I step on field that I’m going to score,’’ Hill said. “It was two-man coverage. That was just Pat knowing exactly where I’m going to break. It was perfect timing, perfect execution and a perfect play call.
“This was another step for Patrick getting into the Hall of Fame. No one panicked.’’
There were 25 combined points scored by the two teams in the final 1:54 of regulation. Mahomes threw for 177 yards after the two-minute warning.
The advice Chiefs head coach Andy Reid gave to Mahomes with 13 seconds remaining in regulation?
“When it’s grim, be the grim reaper and go get it,’’ Reid said. “And he did that. He made everyone around him better, which he’s great at. He just does it effortlessly. When it gets tough, he’s going to be there battling. Every time he comes in the huddle, he says, ‘Let’s be great.’ When he says it, it’s not corny. Guys believe in it.’’
Allen, who completed 27 of 37 for 327 yards and four touchdowns, was understandably gutted after the game.
“They made one more play than we did,’’ Allen said. “Obviously, it hurts — especially back-to-back years in the same place.’’
Indeed, 364 days ago, it was the Chiefs who knocked the Bills out in the AFC Championship game in a 38-24 win at Arrowhead.
“It was a great game between two good football teams,’’ Mahomes said. “Guys like Tyreek and Travis made plays that won us the game. We’re going to play this team a lot of games with that guy [Allen] playing quarterback. Josh played his ass off. I’m glad we got this one.’’
