| 2024 Kansas City Chiefs season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | The Hunt Family (Clark Hunt Chairman and CEO) |
| General manager | Brett Veach |
| Head coach | Andy Reid |
| Offensive coordinator | Matt Nagy |
| Defensive coordinator | Steve Spagnuolo |
| Home stadium | Arrowhead Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 15–2 |
| Division place | 1stAFC West |
| Playoffs | WonDivisional Playoffs (vs.Texans) 23–14 WonAFC Championship (vs.Bills)32–29 LostSuper Bowl LIX (vs.Eagles) 22–40 |
| All-Pros | 4
|
| Pro Bowlers | 5
|
| Team MVP | Joe Thuney |
| Team ROY | Xavier Worthy |
| Uniform | |
 | |
The2024 season was theKansas City Chiefs' 55th in theNational Football League (NFL), their 65th overall and their 12th underhead coachAndy Reid. The Chiefs entered the season as thedefending champions for the second straight year and attempted to become the first team towin three straight Super Bowl championships, as well as win three straight NFL championships since theGreen Bay Packers did so twice (from 1929 to 1931, and from 1965 to 1967). The Chiefs started 9–0 for the first time since2013 and became the last undefeated team in the NFL following their Week 7 win over theSan Francisco 49ers coupled with theMinnesota Vikings losing to theDetroit Lions earlier that day.
Following a Week 10 win over theDenver Broncos, the Chiefs secured their twelfth consecutive winning season. Their hopes of going undefeated were dashed following a Week 11 road loss to theBuffalo Bills. They clinched their tenth straight playoff berth, the second longest string in NFL history (only surpassed by the2009-2019 New England Patriots' 11 straight, and equalling the1946-1955 Cleveland Browns) following a Week 13 win over theLas Vegas Raiders on Black Friday coupled with theMiami Dolphins losing to theGreen Bay Packers the previous day.[1] With a Week 14 win over theLos Angeles Chargers, the Chiefs clinched their ninth consecutive AFC West title, a record-extending 17th AFC West title, and improved on their 11–6 record from the previous season. Following a Week 16 win over theHouston Texans, the Chiefs went undefeated at home for the first time since2003. Following a Week 17 road win over thePittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day, the Chiefs clinched a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs as the top seed. They were also the first team to win at least 15 games since the2015 Carolina Panthers, set a new franchise regular season win record, and became one of the first two teams to win 15 games in a 17-game season, along with theDetroit Lions, and the first AFC team to do so. Although they did win 15 games, they never scored more than 30 points in a regular season game all season, becoming the first two-time defending champion to not score more than 30 points since the1956 Cleveland Browns, as well as 11 of their wins being within one score. Their point differential of +59 is the worst of all teams to finish with three or fewer losses since the 1970AFL–NFL merger outside of the strike-shortened1982 season, while their 385 points scored is the second-lowest of any team to finish with at least 15 wins in a season, only behind the2004 Pittsburgh Steelers (who scored 372 points).[2]
In the Divisional Round, the top-seeded Chiefs defeated theHouston Texans 23–14 to advance to their seventh consecutive AFC Championship Game (only trailing the 2011–2018 Patriots for the most ever) as Andy Reid became the fourth head coach to pass 300 wins, including postseason.[a] The Chiefs defeated theBuffalo Bills32–29 in the AFC Championship Game to advance to their third straight Super Bowl, becoming the first two-time defending Super Bowl champion to play for a possible third consecutive title. In a rematch ofSuper Bowl LVII fromtwo years prior, Kansas City faced the NFC championPhiladelphia Eagles inSuper Bowl LIX, but this time lost to Philadelphia in a 40–22 blowout. With the loss, the Chiefs failed to complete their three–peat bid and became the seventh consecutive team with 15 wins in the regular season who failed to win the Super Bowl, joining the Lions, who lost earlier in the playoffs to theWashington Commanders. Additionally, the Chiefs were also the first 15-win team to lose the Super Bowl since the2015 Carolina Panthers, and the first defending Super Bowl champion to lose the following year's Super Bowl since their2020 season, where they lostSuper Bowl LV to theTampa Bay Buccaneers after winningSuper Bowl LIV.
All transactions below occurred between the day after the Chiefs' final game of the 2023 season and the first game of the 2024 preseason. The only exception is futures contracts which the Chiefs began being signed after the conclusion of the 2023 regular season.
Futures contracts are signed beginning with the conclusion of the previous season. They typically consist of players who spent a portion of the previous season on the practice squad of a team.
| Player | Position |
|---|---|
| Ian Book | QB |
| Isaiah Buggs | DT |
| Jacob Copeland | WR |
| Trey Dean | S |
| Matt Dickerson | DT |
| Izaiah Gathings | TE |
| Chukwuebuka Godrick | OT |
| Hassan Hall | RB |
| Keaontay Ingram | RB |
| Truman Jones | DE |
| Kelvin Joseph | CB |
| Anthony Miller | WR |
| Chris Oladokun | QB |
| Deneric Prince | RB |
| Jordan Smith | DE |
| Shi Smith | WR |
| Keith Taylor | CB |
| Montrell Washington | WR |
Below are players who were on the roster at the end of the 2023 season, but were either released or did not re-sign after their contract expired.[4]
| Player | Position | Reason | New team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Allegretti | G | UFA | Washington Commanders |
| Blake Bell | TE | UFA | TBD |
| Mike Edwards | S | UFA | Buffalo Bills |
| Jody Fortson | TE | UFA | Miami Dolphins |
| Blaine Gabbert | QB | UFA | TBD |
| Willie Gay | LB | UFA | New Orleans Saints |
| Richie James | WR | UFA | TBD |
| Jerick McKinnon | RB | UFA | TBD |
| Donovan Smith | OT | UFA | TBD |
| Tommy Townsend | P | UFA | Houston Texans |
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling | WR | Released | Buffalo Bills |
| Prince Tega Wanogho | OT | UFA | TBD |
| Player | Position | Previous team |
|---|---|---|
| Matt Araiza | P | Buffalo Bills(2022) |
| Marquise Brown | WR | Arizona Cardinals |
| Tyree Gillespie | S | Kansas City ChiefsPractice squad |
| Louis Rees-Zammit | RB | None* |
| Mike Pennel | DT | Kansas City Chiefs Practice squad |
| Cornell Powell | WR | Kansas City Chiefs Practice squad |
| Gerrit Prince | TE | Kansas City Chiefs Practice squad |
| Irv Smith Jr. | TE | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Carson Wentz | QB | Los Angeles Rams |
* Rees-Zammit was signed via the NFL'sInternational Player Pathway Program fromWales.
Trades below only are for trades that included a player. Draft pick only trades will go in draft section.
| Team | Received | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Titans | 7th round selection 2024 NFL draft 3rd round selection 2025 NFL draft | CBL'Jarius Sneed 7th round selection 2024 NFL draft |
| Tennessee Titans | WRDeAndre Hopkins | 4th or 5th round selection 2025 NFL draft[A] |
| New England Patriots | LBJoshua Uche | 6th round selection 2026 NFL draft |
Draft trades
Front office
Head coaches Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
| Quarterbacks(QB) Running backs(RB) Wide receivers(WR) Tight ends(TE) | Offensive linemen(OL) | Linebackers(LB) Defensive backs(DB)
Special teams(ST) | Practice squad
Reserve
Rookies in italics |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 10 | atJacksonville Jaguars | L 13–26 | 0–1 | EverBank Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 17 | Detroit Lions | L 23–24 | 0–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 22 | Chicago Bears | L 21–34 | 0–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Jaguars | 7 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 26 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 0 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 24 |
| Chiefs | 13 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 23 |
atArrowhead Stadium,Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 7 | 13 | 14 | 0 | 34 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 5 | Baltimore Ravens | W 27–20 | 1–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 15 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 26–25 | 2–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 22 | atAtlanta Falcons | W 22–17 | 3–0 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 29 | atLos Angeles Chargers | W 17–10 | 4–0 | SoFi Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 7 | New Orleans Saints | W 26–13 | 5–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | Bye | |||||
| 7 | October 20 | atSan Francisco 49ers | W 28–18 | 6–0 | Levi's Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | October 27 | atLas Vegas Raiders | W 27–20 | 7–0 | Allegiant Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 4 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 30–24(OT) | 8–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 10 | Denver Broncos | W 16–14 | 9–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 17 | atBuffalo Bills | L 21–30 | 9–1 | Highmark Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 24 | atCarolina Panthers | W 30–27 | 10–1 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | November 29 | Las Vegas Raiders | W 19–17 | 11–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 8 | Los Angeles Chargers | W 19–17 | 12–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 15 | atCleveland Browns | W 21–7 | 13–1 | Huntington Bank Field | Recap |
| 16 | December 21 | Houston Texans | W 27–19 | 14–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 25 | atPittsburgh Steelers | W 29–10 | 15–1 | Acrisure Stadium | Recap |
| 18 | January 5 | atDenver Broncos | L 0–38 | 15–2 | Empower Field at Mile High | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are inbold text.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravens | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
atArrowhead Stadium,Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 3 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 25 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 26 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 22 |
| Falcons | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
atMercedes-Benz Stadium,Atlanta, Georgia
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| Chargers | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 26 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| 49ers | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 18 |
atLevi's Stadium,Santa Clara, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 7 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
| Raiders | 7 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
atAllegiant Stadium,Paradise, Nevada
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 30 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Bills | 6 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 30 |
atHighmark Stadium,Orchard Park, New York
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the loss, the Chiefs fell to 9–1, became the final undefeated team in the 2024 regular season to lose a game, and failed to become the first NFL team to start a season 10–0 since the2020 Pittsburgh Steelers.
The game was watched by 31.2 million viewers, becoming the highest-rated football game of the2024 NFL season. It was the highest-rated regular season and non-holiday game since the Week 9 matchup of theNew England Patriots andIndianapolis Colts during the2007 NFL season.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 10 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 30 |
| Panthers | 3 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 27 |
atBank of America Stadium,Charlotte, North Carolina
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 19 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 17 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 19 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Browns | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 3 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 19 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the win, the Chiefs improved to 14–1 and went undefeated at home for the first time since2003.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 13 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 29 |
| Steelers | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
atAcrisure Stadium,Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
In a Christmas Day game exclusive toKCTV in Kansas City andKDKA in Pittsburgh (and a different out-of-market carrier than normal), the Chiefs improved to 15–1 and swept the entire AFC North with the dominating win. In addition, they gained the No. 1 seed, and clinched a first-round bye as well as home-field advantage throughout the entire AFC playoffs.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broncos | 14 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
On January 4, prior to the game, the Chiefs were delayed from departingKansas City International Airport due to an airport closure byNOTAM, as a result ofWinter Storm Blair producingfreezing drizzle on the airfield.[15] This delayed their flight to compete against the Broncos on January 5 at Denver. The Chiefs had an extremely disappointing game against the Bo Nix-led Denver Broncos, as they were shut out 38–0. With the giant loss, the Chiefs ended their season 15–2 and failed to become the first NFL team to win 16 games since the 2007 Patriots. Their –36 point differential (outscored 52–16) against the Broncos in their two meetings was their worst since they got outscored 55–12 (for a point differential of –43) in their two meetings, both losses, in2012.
As the Chiefs had already clinched the number one seed, they rested the vast majority of their starters for the entire game. This was the Chiefs' first shutout loss since 2012, when they were defeated by theOakland Raiders 15–0 in Week 15.[16]
| AFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (1)Kansas City Chiefs | 15 | 2 | 0 | .882 | 5–1 | 10–2 | 385 | 326 | L1 |
| (5)Los Angeles Chargers | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 402 | 301 | W3 |
| (7)Denver Broncos | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 3–3 | 6–6 | 425 | 311 | W1 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 4 | 13 | 0 | .235 | 0–6 | 3–9 | 309 | 434 | L1 |
| Seed | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division leaders | |||||||||||
| 1 | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 15 | 2 | 0 | .882 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .488 | .463 | L1 |
| 2 | Buffalo Bills | East | 13 | 4 | 0 | .765 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .467 | .448 | L1 |
| 3 | Baltimore Ravens | North | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .529 | .525 | W4 |
| 4 | Houston Texans | South | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .481 | .376 | W1 |
| Wild cards | |||||||||||
| 5 | Los Angeles Chargers | West | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .467 | .348 | W3 |
| 6[b] | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .502 | .453 | L4 |
| 7[b] | Denver Broncos | West | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .502 | .394 | W1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
| 8 | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .478 | .314 | W5 |
| 9[c] | Indianapolis Colts | South | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .457 | .309 | W1 |
| 10[c] | Miami Dolphins | East | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .419 | .294 | L1 |
| 11 | New York Jets | East | 5 | 12 | 0 | .294 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .495 | .341 | W1 |
| 12[d] | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 4 | 13 | 0 | .235 | 3–3 | 4–8 | .478 | .265 | L1 |
| 13[d][e] | New England Patriots | East | 4 | 13 | 0 | .235 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .471 | .471 | W1 |
| 14[d][e] | Las Vegas Raiders | West | 4 | 13 | 0 | .235 | 0–6 | 3–9 | .540 | .353 | L1 |
| 15[f] | Cleveland Browns | North | 3 | 14 | 0 | .176 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .536 | .510 | L6 |
| 16[f] | Tennessee Titans | South | 3 | 14 | 0 | .176 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .522 | .431 | L6 |
| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | First-round bye | |||||
| Divisional | January 18 | Houston Texans (4) | W 23–14 | 1–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| AFC Championship | January 26 | Buffalo Bills (2) | W32–29 | 2–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| Super Bowl LIX | February 9 | vs.Philadelphia Eagles (N2) | L 22–40 | 2–1 | Caesars Superdome | Recap |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 14 |
| Chiefs | 6 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 23 |
atArrowhead Stadium,Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the win, Andy Reid became the fourth head coach in NFL history to win 300 games.[17] The Chiefs would go on to the AFC Championship Game and win against the Bills 32–29. This was the third overall playoff meeting between the Chiefs and Texans. The Chiefs won the first two playoff meetings, most recently the 2019 AFC Divisional Game, which the Chiefs won 51–31 in Kansas City en route to winning Super Bowl LIV despite trailing 24–0 during the second quarter. In the regular season, the Chiefs defeated the Texans 27–19 in Kansas City during Week 16.
The Chiefs, playing in their first meaningful game since Christmas Day, 24 days prior, received an immediate boost when kicker returner Nikko Remigio returned the opening kickoff for 63 yards. A Texans unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the play took the ball to Houston's 13-yard line. The Chiefs went three-and-out and kicked a field goal to take the early lead. The Texans responded with a Kaʻimi Fairbairn field goal after a 10-play drive, tying the game. Harrison Butker kicked the Chiefs into the lead on the next possession with a 36-yard field goal. A few possessions later, Fairbairn missed a 55-yard kick wide to the right, giving the Chiefs a short field. The Chiefs scored on this possession: a Kareem Hunt short touchdown run at the goal line, which was highlighted by a Patrick Mahomes pass and run to Travis Kelce for 49 yards, the longest playoff reception in Kelce's career. Fairbairn snuck in a 48-yard field goal on the next possession just before halftime, to pull the Texans within seven points.
The Texans opened the third quarter with the ball and scored on a Joe Mixon 13-yard run to cap a 10-minute drive; however, Fairbairn missed the extra point, leaving Houston one point behind, 13–12. The Chiefs responded with a seven-minute and 44-second drive, with a Mahomes to Kelce touchdown catch as Mahomes was falling to the ground. It was the duo's 18th touchdown connection, extending their playoff record for a quarterback and pass catcher. In the fourth quarter, with 10:05 left in the game, the Texans failed on a fourth down on the Kansas City 40-yard line. On the play, C. J. Stroud was sacked by regular-season team sack leader George Karlaftis for 16 yards, the fourth sack of the game for Kansas City's defense. The teams exchanged three-and-outs before Harrison Butker extended the Chiefs ' lead to 23–12 with a field goal late in the fourth quarter. Stroud led the Texans to the red zone on the next possession, but an eighth sack against him forced him out of the game with an injury. On the next play, Fairbairn missed his third kick of the game, via a block by Leo Chenal. Chiefs punter Matt Araiza took a safety rather than punting the ball back to the Texans to end the game.
The Chiefs' 23–14 win gave them 16 playoff wins in the Mahomes–Reid era. In addition, Andy Reid joined the 300-win club with the victory. Kansas City will host the AFC Championship Game next Sunday, in what will be their seventh straight AFC Championship game, one short of the record set by the 2011–2018 Patriots.
The Chiefs became the first team in NFL postseason history to win while forcing no turnovers and being outgained by at least 100 yards. Previously, teams were 0–49.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 3 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 29 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 14 | 0 | 11 | 32 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
This game marked the second meeting in theAFC Championship Game between the Chiefs and Bills since the2020 season. The Chiefs went to Super Bowl LIX but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 40–22. This was the seventh playoff meeting between the Bills and Chiefs, and the fourth in five seasons. The Chiefs lead the historical playoff series 4–2, including the 2021 AFC Divisional Game, where the Chiefs offense orchestrated a game-tying drive in the final 13 seconds of regulation. The most recent playoff meeting came in the 2023 AFC Divisional Game, which the Chiefs won 27–24 in Buffalo en route to winning Super Bowl LVIII after Bills kicker Tyler Bass missed a potential game-tying field goal wide right in the final two minutes of regulation. The last conference championship meeting was the 2020 AFC Championship game, which the Chiefs won 38–24. In the regular season, the Bills defeated the Chiefs 30–21 in Buffalo during Week 11.
This was the seventh straight AFC Championship Game appearance (and eighth overall) for the Chiefs. The eighth team to win back-to-back Super Bowls, they became the fourth team to reach the Super Bowl in three consecutive seasons, after the 1971–1973 Miami Dolphins, 1991–1993 Buffalo Bills, and 2016–2018 New England Patriots; however, Kansas City is the first team to win two straight Super Bowls and then return for a third consecutive year, as the Dolphins lost their first, the Patriots their second, and the Bills all three. This is the seventh overall AFC Championship Game appearance for the Bills, who have not won a conference championship since their four consecutive AFC Championship Game victories from 1991 to 1994, one of which (1993) was against the Chiefs; that game is also the last time they beat the Chiefs in the playoffs.
The Chiefs started the scoring via a Kareem Hunt 12-yard run on their first possession. On the next possession, Bills' kicker Tyler Bass connected on a 55-yard field goal, the longest postseason kick in the history of Arrowhead Stadium. With 57 seconds left in the first quarter, Patrick Mahomes fumbled on Buffalo's 23-yard line; it was Kansas City's first offensive turnover since Week 11, which coincidentally came against Buffalo. The Bills took the momentum and scored on their next possession in the second quarter via a James Cook 6-yard run, his 20th total touchdown (regular season and playoffs) of the season. The Chiefs responded with an eleven-play drive on a Mahomes touchdown pass to rookie Xavier Worthy, taking the lead, 14–10. The Bills went three-and-out, and a Nikko Remigio 41-yard punt return set up the Chiefs on the Bills' 29-yard line. Then, Xavier Worthy caught a questionable jump ball catch on 3rd-and-5, taking the ball to Buffalo's 3-yard line. With 1:55 left in the half, Mahomes ran it in on a rollout to the right from Buffalo's 1-yard line to go up 21–10. On the Bills' next possession, a Mack Hollins 34-yard pass from Josh Allen cut the lead to one score. The Bills tried to cut the lead to three points by attempting a two-point conversion, but receiver Curtis Samuel was stopped short of the goal line. The game went into halftime with Kansas City holding a 21–16 lead.
Kansas City's first drive out of halftime stalled on a Matt Milano sack of Mahomes on 3rd-and-11 on Buffalo's 37-yard line. Buffalo proceeded to take the ball down the field and scored on a James Cook 1-yard run on 4th-and-goal, taking the lead, 22–21. Bass made his extra point attempt, but Chiefs safety Justin Reid was called for offside, having come over the line of scrimmage before the ball was snapped in an attempt to block the kick. The Bills had the choice of declining the penalty, which would've resulted in a successful extra point, or accepting the penalty, which would allow them to attempt another two-point conversion, but from the one-yard line instead of the two-yard line due to the penalty. The Bills accepted the penalty, and their second two-point conversion attempt of the game, a QB sneak by Allen, was unsuccessful. On the ensuing possession, the Bills' defense held the Chiefs to a punt, allowing Buffalo to possibly go up by two possessions. However, the drive ended with no score after the final two plays, and in particular Josh Allen's fourth-and-inches quarterback sneak, were controversially ruled short of the line to gain, turning the ball over to the Chiefs on Kansas City's 41-yard line with 13:01 left to play.
The Chiefs responded to it with a five-play, 59-yard touchdown drive capped off by a 10-yard Mahomes run, his second rushing touchdown of the game and third overall in the postseason; on the two-point conversion, Mahomes found Justin Watson at the back of the endzone to take the lead 29–22. The Bills then marched down the field on a nine-play, 70-yard touchdown drive, culminating in a four-yard touchdown pass from Allen to Samuel on 4th-and-goal, and after Bass made the extra point, the score was tied at 29 with 6:15 left in the game. The Chiefs' next drive stalled on Buffalo's 17-yard line, with the Bills holding them to a Harrison Butker field goal, giving the Chiefs a 32–29 lead with 3:33 left to play. The Bills got the ball back and needed to either kick a field goal to tie the game or score a touchdown to take the lead to avoid a fourth consecutive playoff loss to the Chiefs. However, the Bills were only able to get one first down, a Josh Allen 13-yard scramble on 2nd-and-11 from the Buffalo 29-yard line. After the scramble, first and second down resulted in incompletions before Allen connected with Amari Cooper for five yards on 3rd-and-10, setting up a do-or-die 4th-and-5 for the Bills. On the play, Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo chose to heavily blitz Allen, causing him to heave the ball to Dalton Kincaid. The ball was catchable, but Kincaid misread the pass and dropped it while sliding. Buffalo then used a timeout after each play the Chiefs ran to get the ball back, but Kansas City was able to get a first down and kneel out the clock to secure their berth in Super Bowl LIX.
In the game, star quarterbacks Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes recorded similar statistics: Allen went 22–34 with 237 yards passing and two passing touchdowns, while Mahomes went 18–26 for 245 yards and one touchdown. On the ground, Allen went for 39 yards on 11 carries, while Mahomes had 43 yards on 11 carries with two scrambling touchdowns. In nine composite matchups between the Chiefs and Bills (regular season and playoffs), Mahomes's team now has outscored Allen's 245–240. In addition, with the AFC Championship Game win, Mahomes now has 17 postseason wins, breaking a tie with Joe Montana for the second-most wins by a quarterback in playoff history and trailing only Tom Brady and his 35 wins.
The broadcast on CBS drew an AFC Championship Game record viewing audience of 57.4 million viewers.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 6 | 16 | 22 |
| Eagles | 7 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 40 |
atCaesars Superdome,New Orleans, Louisiana
| Game information | ||
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A rematch ofSuper Bowl LVII,Super Bowl LIX was the second Super Bowl meeting between the Chiefs and Eagles since the2022 season.[18] This was the end of the AFC West division. After the Chiefs won the coin toss and deferred possession to the second half, the Eagles received the opening kickoff, which was a touchback. The Eagles' initial drive of six plays gained 20 yards to midfield; however, an offensive pass interference call on A.J. Brown negated a 32-yard pass on fourth down, forcing them to punt. After a 53-yard punt by Braden Mann, the Chiefs' drive began on their own 12 following a 5-yard return by Nikko Remigio.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed his first pass 11 yards to JuJu Smith-Schuster for a first down. After a 1-yard pass and two incomplete throws, Matt Araiza punted 58 yards from the Chiefs' 24. The punt was returned 13 yards by Cooper DeJean, setting the Eagles up at their 31 to begin their second drive. Subsequently, the Eagles put together a 7-play, 69-yard touchdown drive that included a 20-yard pass to Dallas Goedert. Although Jahan Dotson caught a pass that was initially signaled d a touchdown, he was ruled short of the goal line; regardless, Jalen Hurts scored with a quarterback sneak using the team's signature Tush Push play for a 1-yard touchdown.
After another punt by the Chiefs, the Eagles got to the Chiefs' 30-yard line on an 11-play drive that ended with an interception thrown by Hurts to Bryan Cook at the Chiefs' 2-yard line at the start of the second quarter. Despite this, the Chiefs went three-and-out again, and after a Jake Elliott 48-yard field goal, Mahomes threw an interception to DeJean, who returned it 38 yards for a touchdown. Both teams then traded punts before Mahomes threw another interception to Zack Baun shortly after the two-minute warning, which set up a 12-yard touchdown pass from Hurts to Brown, extending the Eagles' lead to 24–0 before halftime.
The second half began with an Eagles kickoff, which resulted in a touchback. Despite gaining a first down with a pass to Xavier Worthy, Mahomes was sacked twice in the next two plays, and the Chiefs' drive stalled at their own 37-yard line. The Eagles responded by driving down the field 69 yards, including a 16-yard and 14-yard run by Hurts, which ended with a 29-yard field goal from Jake Elliott.
The Chiefs' next drive took them five plays and 17 yards to their 47-yard line. Facing a fourth down, a pass from Mahomes to DeAndre Hopkins fell incomplete after it was batted away by Avonte Maddox, resulting in a turnover on downs. On the next play, Hurts threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith, increasing the Eagles' score to 34. The Chiefs responded with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes to Worthy at the end of the third quarter, their first score of the game, but failed a two-point conversion attempt from Mahomes to tight end Travis Kelce.
In the fourth quarter, after a 48-yard field goal from Elliott, Mahomes fumbled the ball on a strip sack by Milton Williams, which was recovered by Williams himself at the Chiefs' 18-yard line. Although an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was called on Williams, Elliott converted a 50-yard field goal attempt, making the score 40–6. On the next drive, Mahomes threw a 7-yard pass to DeAndre Hopkins for a touchdown; the corresponding 2-point conversion from Mahomes to Justin Watson was successful. The Eagles proceeded to bench their starters and allowed their backups to play and take snaps in the final minutes of the game, and after the Eagles turned the ball over on downs, Mahomes responded with a 50-yard touchdown pass to Worthy and another successful 2-point conversion with a pass to Hopkins, cutting the Chiefs' deficit to 18 points for a 40–22 score. A subsequent onside kick was recovered by the Eagles, who ran out the clock.
