Following the Kansas City Chiefs‘ 27-24 win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round, the NFL issued the greatest compliment they could to Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed:
A random drug test.
Sneed revealed that he had been summoned for a drug test via a social media post after the game. “I’m tired of getting drug tested,” Sneed wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Drug tests are typically administered to players that have recently played well. Against Buffalo, Sneed, along with the other members of Kansas City’s secondary, held Buffalo’s three-time Pro Bowl wideout Stefon Diggs to just 3 catches for 21 yards. That marks the second time this season that the Chiefs held Diggs to under 30 yards receiving in a game. It also highlights one of the many times Sneed and Kansas City’s defense have shut down an opposing team’s No. 1 pass catcher this season, which is in part why the team is now participating in its sixth-straight AFC Championship Game.
Chiefs Defeat Bills in AFC Divisional Round
The Chiefs and Bills exchanged blows for four quarters, which led to a tight game until the end. Ultimately, a missed field goal by Bills kicker Tyler Bass with 1:47 left in the game is what what helped catapult the Chiefs to victory.
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Against Buffalo, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 17-of-23 pass attempts for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns, and did not commit any turnovers. He also had an additional 19 yards on 6 carries.
The Chiefs’ leading receiver was tight end Travis Kelce, who caught 5-of-6 targets for 75 yards and reeled in both of Mahomes’s touchdown passes. The duo’s second touchdown in the game set the NFL record for the most touchdowns by a quarterback and tight end in NFL postseason history (16), breaking the previous record set by Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski (15).
Kansas City’s leading rusher versus the Bills was running back Isiah Pacheco, who carried the ball 15 times for 97 yards — 6.4 yards per carry — and had 1 rushing touchdown.
The Chiefs’ defense did just enough to help squeak out a win in Buffalo; the unit didn’t force any turnovers and didn’t sack quarterback Josh Allen at all. But the defense did force Allen to check the ball down often, which is why he averaged 4.8 yards per completion, and forced incompletions on two key deep passes late in the fourth quarter (which were followed up by Bass’s missed field goal with 1:47 left in the game).
Kansas City now advances to the AFC Championship Game and will face the No. 1 seeded Baltimore Ravens. The winner of that game will play in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
The AFC Championship Game will take place on Sunday, January 28 at 2 p.m. Central time and will be available to watch on CBS.
Twitter/X Reacts to Chiefs’ Victory
Users on X reacted to Kansas City’s victory over Buffalo in the AFC Divisional Round.
“They doubted Mahomes and he went in Allen’s house and showed him why he’s a 2x Super Bowl Champion,” one user wrote.
“What a game! The entire team did their job on the field tonight! Those plays by (Drue) Tranquill and Marquez Valdes-Scantling were the bomb,” another user wrote. “Love Pacheco, that dude plays every game with all heart, (Rashee) Rice and [love] Kelce with 2x touchdowns, plus Chiefs Defense was incredible tonight, totally Locked! 6x AFC Playoffs with Mahomes leading the team to victory!”
