Bills Mafia is feeling pretty good right now, but a nightmare start for the Kansas City Chiefs has the home team trailing by nine points early in the AFC Championship game.
The Buffalo Bills scored on the opening possession of the game with rookie Tyler Bass converting on a 51-yard field goal, the longest kick at Arrowhead Stadium in playoff history. It looked like the Bills were going to tack onto that three-point lead as they were on the move during their second possession, but a huge sack of Josh Allen pushed the Bills back deep into their own territory. They would fail to convert the third-and-long situation, and were forced to punt.
That is when the Chiefs made a huge mistake. Returner Mecole Hardman failed to secure the ball, and the Bills were able to pounce on the loose football for a huge turnover:
The @BuffaloBills recover the fumble inside the 5! #NFLPlayoffs #BillsMafia
📺: #BUFvsKC on CBS
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/RTcXvhOR4u pic.twitter.com/DuEcjADKyd— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2021
Buffalo immediately capitalized, with Allen flipping the ball to Dawson Knox on 1st-and-goal for the first touchdown of the AFC Championship game:
Allen to Knox!
The Bills lead by 9 early. #BillsMafia #NFLPlayoffs
📺: #BUFvsKC on CBS
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/RTcXvhOR4u pic.twitter.com/J5VnjxoQPK— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2021
On a team filled with stars on the outside like Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley it is the tight end Knox who has been critical in the early going of this AFC Championship. Knox caught a short pass to convert a fourth down on Buffalo’s opening possession, and now has the first touchdown in the AFC Championship game.
Chiefs fans will probably be comforted by the fact that they trailed by double-digits in each of their playoff games a season ago, and we know how that turned out.
