<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611541702400.png" alt="Darrel Williams scores a touchdown in the second quarter, which gave the Chiefs their first lead in the AFC Championship on Sunday night." />
 <figcaption>Darrel Williams scores a touchdown in the second quarter, which gave the Chiefs their first lead in the AFC Championship on Sunday night.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe Kansas City Chiefs have clinched back-to-back Super Bowl appearances for the first time in franchise history.The defending champion Chiefs (16-2) protected their home field and defeated the Buffalo Bills, 38-24, in the AFC Championship on Sunday night at Arrowhead Stadium.Patrick Mahomes, who underwent concussion protocol successfully this past week and battled some minor turf toe, seemed completely unbothered Sunday, passing for a postseason-best 325 yards and three touchdowns on 29-of-38 passing, improving his career postseason record to 4-1."The best thing about this team is that we believe in each other," Mahomes told CBS after the game. "Every single time we hit the field, we give everything we have. The job is not finished."The Chiefs' offense piled up 439 yards of offense and averaged 6.9 yards per play. Mahomes says he felt primed for a big game all day leading up to the game."We did a good job of rehabbing and getting myself ready to go," Mahomes said. "I feel like I was myself out there and we were able to go out there and score points and find a way to win against a really good football team."The Bills got off to a hot start in Sunday's game. After coming away with a 51-yard field goal by Tyler Bass on their opening drive, Buffalo's special teams came up with a big play.&nbsp;Backed inside his own 15, Mecole Hardman muffed a punt, which the Bills recovered and turned into points on the next play.With a first-and-goal at the three, Allen tossed the ball to Dawson Knox on a swing pass, but Bass missed the PAT, putting Buffalo ahead 9-0 with 6:14 to go in the first."After that fumble, I told Mecole on the sidelines that he was going to make a big play, and sure enough he made multiple," said Mahomes.Hardman indeed atoned for his sins on the next drive as he hauled in a three-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes, capping a 14-play, 80-yard drive that took nearly seven minutes off the clock.Kansas City got on the board, trailing 9-7 with 14:16 left in the first half.On the Chiefs' following drive, Hardman further redeemed himself with a 50-yard run on an end around that put Kansas City into scoring range.That run by Hardman was the longest rush from scrimmage in franchise postseason history.Four plays later, Darrel Williams punched it in from four yards out, giving Kansas City its first lead at 14-9 with 9:35 to go until halftime.They never trailed after.Kansas City's defense also stepped up big, forcing three Bills' punts in the first half after Buffalo had scored on their opening series.The Chiefs' offense took advantage, stringing together a nine-play, 77-yard drive capped off by a one-yard touchdown run by Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who had previously been inactive since Week 15 with an ankle injury suffered against the Saints. It was the first postseason touchdown in the rookie's career.The Chiefs led 21-9 with 4:12 left in the second, completely swinging the momentum in their favor after a sluggish start.Buffalo moved the ball down the field inside the final four minutes of the first half and made it all the way to the Kansas City two-yard line, but had to settle for a 20-yard field goal from Bass, giving the Chiefs a 21-12 halftime lead.The Chiefs got the ball to start the second half, and marched right down the field again, as the drive was sparked by a 31-yard reception by Tyreek Hill. The drive stalled, however, and Harrison Butker came in for a 45-yard field goal, putting Kansas City ahead 24-12 with 10:48 left in the third.The Bills looked solid on their first possession of the second half as well, but the drive stalled, and Bass had to come in for his third field goal of the game - this one good from 27 yards out.That cut the Chiefs lead down to 24-15 with under six minutes left in the third.Kansas City, once again, had a bigger and better answer. Sparked by a 71-yard pitch and catch to Hill, it took the Chiefs only four plays to put another touchdown on the board.&nbsp;Mahomes tossed an underhanded ball to Kelce, who took it in from a yard away, putting Kansas City ahead 31-15 with 3:34 to go in the third.The Bills tried to battle back and were driving into Chiefs territory, but an interception by Rashad Fenton ended that series and Kansas City capitalized off of the first Bills' turnover.The Chiefs drove 58 yards on 11 plays and went to their sure-handed tight end for another touchdown - this one from five yards out to put Kansas City ahead 38-15 with just over 7:36 to play.Kelce, who's had the most receiving yards by a tight end in a single season in NFL history this year, finished Sunday's game with a playoff game record-tying 13 catches for 118 yards and two scores."You put me and Tyreek (out there ," Kelce said, "one in the back of the end zone and one in the front, and hope that one of us can win our matchups, thinking it's a man coverage. Sure enough, everyone forgot about me."Hill was also clutch with nine grabs for 172 yards, averaging over 19 yards per catch.Kelce says Mahomes was as good as he's ever seen him play, despite the uncertainty of his status going in."I mean, he was dialed in, throwing the ball all over the field and making the right decisions," Kelce said. "Sure enough, he played his A-game and led us to the Super Bowl, man."Now awaiting Kansas City in Super Bowl 55 is Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers (14-5) defeated the Green Bay Packers, 31-26, on Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field in the NFC Championship.This will mark a record tenth Super Bowl appearance by quarterback Tom Brady, who passed for three touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions in the win.Super Bowl 55 kicks off on Sunday, Feb. 7, at 5:30 p.m. central from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, making the Buccaneers the first franchise in NFL history to play a Super Bowl on their home field.Kansas City won at Tampa this past regular season on Nov. 29, 27-24 - a game in which Brady threw three touchdowns a pair of interceptions. Mahomes did not throw a pick in that game, and finished with a season-best 462 yards and three scores.Andy Reid, who's now fourth on the NFL's all-time list with 17 postseason wins as a head coach, says Sunday's win was a 'good team effort' but stresses the need to always improve."This job is a little bit like, and I'm talking about coaches and players, being a farmer," Reid said. "The work is never done. You can always work to get better as a team, and that's what we're going to do here in the next couple of weeks."Brady and Mahomes have met four times before, and the series between the two legends is tied 2-2. All four of the previous meetings have been decided by seven points or less."Every one (of the previous games against Brady) are tremendous," Reid said. "I wouldn't expect this to be any different. Those two have a lot of respect for each other.""The Super Bowl is the Super Bowl," Mahomes said on the excitement of facing Brady on the biggest stage. "Being able to go up against one of the greatest, if not the greatest quarterback of all time in his 150th Super Bowl...I mean, it's going to be a great experience."To go out there and have a chance to repeat and do it against the best, it's something special and I'm looking forward to the opportunity."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611543187618.png" alt="Tyreek Hill cuts up field on a 71-yard reception in the second half of Sunday's AFC Championship game." />
 <figcaption>Tyreek Hill cuts up field on a 71-yard reception in the second half of Sunday's AFC Championship game.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Chiefs' offense overwhelms Buffalo, Kansas City headed back to the Super Bowl