The stage is set for the Kansas City Chiefs to take on the Buffalo Bills tonight in the AFC championship showdown.

The Chiefs concluded the regular season with the top record in the AFC (15-2), securing the No. 1 seed in the conference. They also clinched their tenth straight AFC West title. Enjoying a first-round bye during the wild-card phase, Kansas City took advantage of an extra week to prepare for the Houston Texans, whom they overcame 24-13 in the divisional round, marking their seventh consecutive appearance in the AFC title match.

Kansas City aims for an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl victory but faces a tough challenge from Buffalo this Sunday.

The Bills confidently advanced past the Broncos in the wild card and edged the Ravens 27-25 in the divisional round. Quarterback Josh Allen has been performing at an MVP caliber all season, seeking revenge this Sunday.

Buffalo’s offense, under the guidance of coordinator Joe Brady, is recognized as one of the NFL’s most effective teams. They ended the 2024 season ranked second in EPA per play (0.18), with Allen achieving a total of 41 touchdowns.

Buffalo has secured the AFC East title for six straight seasons under head coach Sean McDermott. Both the Bills and the Chiefs are the only teams to have won ten or more games and reached the playoffs for six consecutive years. Notably, the Bills managed to beat Kansas City once during the regular season.

Chiefs’ head coach Andy Reid has the team working efficiently and they are just two wins away from their fourth Lombardi trophy in six years. Patrick Mahomes has managed to defeat Buffalo in all three of their previous playoff encounters. If he wins again on Sunday, he’ll join legendary quarterbacks Tom Brady and John Elway as the only starting QBs to reach the Super Bowl five times.

This latest chapter in the NFL’s greatest rivalry of the modern era is set to unfold tonight.

YSL News Sports will deliver live updates, highlights, and other details from the AFC championship game between the Bills and Chiefs below. All times are listed in Eastern Standard Time.

Halftime Player Stats: Chiefs vs. Bills in AFC Championship Game

Passing

• Patrick Mahomes: 10 completions on 13 attempts, 132 passing yards, 1 TD

Rushing

• Kareem Hunt: 8 attempts, 41 rushing yards, 1 TD
• Patrick Mahomes: 6 attempts, 17 rushing yards, 1 TD
• Xavier Worthy: 2 attempts, 16 rushing yards
• Isiah Pacheco: 4 attempts, 11 rushing yards

Receiving

• Xavier Worthy: 5 receptions, 62 yards, 1 TD
• JuJu Smith-Schuster: 1 reception, 31 yards
• Hollywood Brown: 2 receptions, 20 yards
• DeAndre Hopkins: 1 reception, 11 yards
• Travis Kelce: 1 reception, 8 yards

Halftime Player Stats: Bills vs. Chiefs in AFC Championship Game

Passing

• Josh Allen: 13 completions on 20 attempts, 150 passing yards, 1 TD

Rushing

• James Cook: 4 attempts, 23 rushing yards, 1 TD
• Ty Johnson: 3 attempts, 10 rushing yards
• Josh Allen: 3 attempts, 6 rushing yards
• Ray Davis: 1 attempt, 4 rushing yards

Receiving

• Mack Hollins: 2 receptions, 41 yards
• Khalil Shakir: 5 receptions, 41 yards
• Amari Cooper: 3 receptions, 28 yards
• James Cook: 1 reception, 17 yards
• Keon Coleman: 1 reception, 12 yards
• Dalton Kincaid: 1 reception, 11 yards

Score at Halftime: Chiefs 21, Bills 16

Kansas City ended the first half with a five-point advantage, thanks to an impressive performance by Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs’ quarterback hit 10 of 13 passes for 132 yards and threw a touchdown to wide receiver Xavier Worthy. His only mistake came from a fumble late in the first quarter that allowed Buffalo to score their first touchdown of the game.

Buffalo quickly regrouped from an initial three-and-out at the start. Quarterback Josh Allen completed 13 of 20 passes in the first half with 150 yards and a touchdown to his credit. The Bills attempted to run the ball only 11 times in the first half, a sharp contrast to their 36 attempts the previous week against the Ravens.

Kansas City will kick off the second half.

Chiefs-Bills Update: Josh Allen Passes to Mack Hollins for Late-Half TD

Buffalo quickly moved down the field, traveling 73 yards in just 92 seconds, pulling within five points thanks to a 34-yard touchdown pass from Josh Allen to wide receiver Mack Hollins.

Following a penalty on the extra point, the Bills decided to attempt a two-point conversion, but Allen was unable to complete it from one yard out. Kansas City leads by five with just 23 seconds left in the first half.

Chiefs 21, Bills 16

Chiefs-Bills Update: Mahomes Scores on a 1-Yard TD Run

Kansas City capitalized off a long punt return, once again finding the end zone before halftime, this time on a one-yard dash by Patrick Mahomes. Harrison Butker successfully kicked the extra point, extending the Chiefs’ lead to two scores with 1:55 remaining in the half.

The Chiefs made it inside the 5-yard line thanks to a 26-yard completion from Mahomes to wide receiver Xavier Worthy. Although Buffalo challenged the catch, it was upheld as valid. Four plays later, Mahomes powered through for a one-yard touchdown.

Chiefs 21, Bills 10

Must-See Moment: Bills Punt, Chiefs Set Up for Potential Score

After Josh Allen failed to connect on three consecutive passes, the Bills had to punt for the second time in the half. Chiefs returner Nikko Remigio made an impressive 41-yard return to the Bills’ 34-yard line, setting Kansas City up for another opportunity to score before halftime.

Chiefs-Bills Update: Mahomes to Xavier Worthy for Go-Ahead TD

Kansas City answered Buffalo’s touchdown by orchestrating a scoring drive of their own. Patrick Mahomes connected with rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy for an 11-yard catch-and-run touchdown, putting Kansas City back in the lead. Harrison Butker’s extra point was successful, giving the Chiefs a lead with 4:13 left in the half.

Mahomes completed all five passes on the drive, including a crucial scramble for six yards on a fourth down to keep the momentum alive near midfield.

Chiefs 14, Bills 10

Chiefs-Bills Update: James Cook Gives Buffalo the Lead

The Bills capitalized on an error by Patrick Mahomes with a strong scoring drive spanning 10 plays and 72 yards, capped off by running back James Cook’s six-yard touchdown run to the left. Tyler Bass added the extra point, allowing the Bills to secure their first lead of the game with 10:25 left in the second quarter.

Buffalo converted multiple key third downs, starting with a 10-yard pass from Allen to Amari Cooper on a 3rd-and-9 situation, which kept their drive alive and near the red zone. Although Allen fumbled on the next play, he quickly connected with Khalil Shakir for a significant 24-yard gain on a 3rd-and-13, continuing their momentum.

Did Patrick Mahomes welcome a new baby?

Brittany Mahomes, Patrick Mahomes’ wife, recently welcomed their third child, a daughter named Golden Raye, during Kansas City’s playoff bye week. The couple also has two other children: Sterling Mahomes and Patrick Mahomes III (commonly referred to as Bronze).

Updated playoff bracket for the 2025 NFL season

With only two games left, football fans are close to finding out who will compete in Super Bowl 59. The upcoming games include:

• NFC Championship: Eagles vs. Commanders
• AFC Championship: Chiefs vs. Bills

Where will Chiefs face off against the Bills?

The Chiefs are set to defend their home field against the Bills this coming Sunday, with the game being held at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

Weather forecast for Chiefs vs. Bills

On Sunday, temperatures are expected to reach 33 degrees, which is colder compared to Saturday’s high of 41 degrees. However, there is a chance the temperature will stay above freezing until after the AFC Championship game starts.

Here are the detailed weather predictions for Kansas City, MO, courtesy of the National Weather Service:

• Maximum temperature: 33 degrees
• Minimum temperature: 21 degrees
• Precipitation likelihood: 0%
• Wind speed: 3-6 mph

No rain is anticipated during the game, and wind conditions are expected to be mild.

What’s the status of Rashee Rice?

Rashee Rice was placed on injured reserve by the Chiefs after their victory against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4.

Rice sustained a right knee injury while attempting to tackle Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton after an interception by Patrick Mahomes in the first quarter. During this play, Mahomes accidentally collided with Rice while trying to go after Fulton.

He has since had successful surgery to repair a torn LCL in his right knee.

Current order for the 2025 NFL draft

Here’s a look at the projected order for the 2025 NFL draft as we approach the AFC and NFC Championship games (the last two picks will be determined by today’s outcomes), as outlined by Tankathon.com:

1. Tennessee Titans: 3-14 record; .522 strength of schedule (SOS)
2. Cleveland Browns: 3-14; .536 SOS
3. New York Giants: 3-14; .554 SOS
4. New England Patriots: 4-13; .471 SOS
5. Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-13; .478 SOS
6. Las Vegas Raiders: 4-13; .540 SOS
7. New York Jets: 5-12; .495 SOS
8. Carolina Panthers: 5-12; .498 SOS
9. New Orleans Saints: 5-12; .505 SOS
10. Chicago Bears: 5-12; .554 SOS
11. San Francisco 49ers: 6-11; .564 SOS
12. Dallas Cowboys: 7-10; .522 SOS
13. Miami Dolphins: 8-9; .419 SOS
14. Indianapolis Colts: 8-9; .457 SOS
15. Atlanta Falcons: 8-9; .519 SOS
16. Arizona Cardinals: 8-9; .536 SOS
17. Cincinnati Bengals: 9-8; .478 SOS
18. Seattle Seahawks: 10-7; .498 SOS
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 10-7; .502 SOS
20. Denver Broncos: 10-7; .502 SOS
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-7; .502 SOS
22. Los Angeles Chargers: 11-6; .467 SOS
23. Green Bay Packers: 11-6; .533 SOS
24. Minnesota Vikings: 14-3; .474 SOS
25. Houston Texans: 10-7; .481 SOS
26. Los Angeles Rams: 10-7; .505 SOS
27. Baltimore Ravens: 12-5; .529 SOS
28. Detroit Lions: 15-2; .519 SOS
29. Washington Commanders: 12-5; .436 SOS
30. Buffalo Bills: 13-4; .467 SOS
31. Philadelphia Eagles: 14-3; .453 SOS
32. Kansas City Chiefs: 15-2; .488 SOS

Who will the winner of Chiefs vs. Bills face next?

The victor of the AFC Championship game between the Chiefs and Bills will proceed to the Super Bowl, where they will challenge the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, February 9 at 6:30 PM ET.