Kansas City beat Buffalo 32-29 at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, January 26, 2025, with Harrison Butker’s 35-yard field goal with 3:33 remaining providing the margin. The win sends the Chiefs to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, and keeps Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City’s bid for an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat alive.
Quick game snapshot
The AFC title game was a back-and-forth affair, with both offenses producing enough big plays to keep the scoreboard moving, and both defenses answering in critical moments. The Chiefs led 21-10 late in the second quarter, Buffalo rallied to tie the game in the fourth, and Kansas City answered with a clutch drive that culminated in Butker’s go-ahead field goal. The Chiefs’ defense then converted a decisive fourth-down stop near midfield, and Buffalo’s final drive fell short.
Key plays and turning points
- Early Chiefs balance: Kansas City opened the scoring on a long, sustained drive capped by a 12-yard Kareem Hunt run, an immediate tone setter that forced Buffalo to play catch-up early.
- Fumble and response: A Mahomes fumble helped the Bills seize momentum in the first half, but the Chiefs answered with a touchdown drive and later a Mahomes 1-yard scramble just before halftime to push the lead back.
- Buffalo’s third-quarter run game: James Cook powered Buffalo’s comeback with consistent gains, finishing drives on two short-yardage touchdowns that swung the game in Buffalo’s favor in the third quarter.
- Fourth-quarter see-saw: Patrick Mahomes scored on a 10-yard run with an ensuing two-point conversion to reestablish a seven-point lead, Buffalo tied it with a Curtis Samuel touchdown, and Butker’s late field goal finally separated the teams.
- Defensive stop to finish: On Buffalo’s final possession, Kansas City’s defense forced a turnover on downs after an opportunely timed blitz and pressure, preserving the Chiefs’ advantage.
"We didn't get it done," said Buffalo's quarterback after the game, capturing the heartbreak from the Bills' locker room.
Player performances
Player | Team | Key stats |
|---|---|---|
Patrick Mahomes | Chiefs | 245 passing yards, 18/26, 1 passing TD, 2 rushing TDs |
Josh Allen | Bills | 237 passing yards, 22/34, 2 passing TDs, 39 rushing yards |
James Cook | Bills | 85 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs |
Xavier Worthy | Chiefs | 4 receptions, 36 yards, 1 TD |
Harrison Butker | Chiefs | Game-winning 35-yard field goal with 3:33 left |
That box score tells a story of complementary styles: Mahomes mixed efficient passing and timely scrambles, Allen put Buffalo on his back with backfield connections and mid-range strikes, and Cook’s running kept Buffalo alive when the passing game stalled.
Scoring summary (condensed)
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2:41 Q2 — Patrick Mahomes 1-yd rush, Chiefs lead 21-10
2:56 Q3 — James Cook 1-yd rush, Bills take 22-21 lead
10:14 Q4 — Patrick Mahomes 10-yd rush, Chiefs 29-22 (2-pt conv good)
6:15 Q4 — Curtis Samuel 4-yd pass, Bills tie 29-29
3:33 Q4 — Harrison Butker 35-yd FG, Chiefs 32-29 (FINAL)
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Coaching and strategy
Andy Reid and the Chiefs stuck with an adaptable game plan, using quick passing, timely deep shots to stretch Buffalo’s front, and designed run options that let Mahomes keep plays alive with his legs. Kansas City mixed conventional runs with quarterback scrambles to manufacture short scores near the goal line.
Buffalo, under Sean McDermott, leaned into a physical, clock-managing approach in the third quarter, riding James Cook and short-yardage execution to regain the lead. The Bills also had success on chunk plays downfield, but were unable to finish in the red zone on the final possession when it mattered most.
What the result means
- For Kansas City: The win keeps the Chiefs in the hunt for a historic three-peat, advancing them to Super Bowl LIX. It also extended the franchise’s recent run of deep postseason runs and reinforced their reputation for late-game poise.
- For Buffalo: Another one-possession loss to Kansas City deepens the sting for a franchise chasing a first modern-era Super Bowl, and it raises immediate questions about small tactical adjustments and roster tweaks to cross the final hurdle.
Multiple viewpoints
- Chiefs fans and analysts saw this as proof of Kansas City’s resilience, pointing to Mahomes’ ability to create when the offense stalled, and the defense’s timely fourth-down hold.
- Bills supporters and some media voices argued the game could have swung the other way if Buffalo had won a couple of contested calls inside the red zone, or if the offense had found a more reliable option on third downs late in the game.
- Neutral observers noted the matchup reinforced a common playoff truth: margins are thin, turnovers and field-position plays matter, and the team that executes special teams and situational defense at the end usually wins.
Broader context and history
Kansas City’s victory continued a stretch of repeated conference-title appearances for the franchise, and it set up a rematch in Super Bowl LIX with the NFC champion. The Bills-Chiefs rivalry, already heated from recent postseason meetings, added another classic to its ledger, and both clubs will carry clear offseason narratives into 2025: Kansas City aiming to finish a historic run, Buffalo looking for incremental changes to pierce the final gate.
Final takeaways
- Close games are decided by small margins — a tipped pass, a short-field drive, a late field goal.
- Mahomes once again demonstrated his clutch mix of arm and legs, while Josh Allen and James Cook showed why Buffalo remains a top-tier offense.
- Special teams, and a single defensive stand, were the difference in a 32-29 outcome that will be replayed in highlight reels for years.
The Chiefs leave Arrowhead with the Lamar Hunt Trophy and a date in New Orleans, and the Bills head home with unfinished business. Both teams, and a league full of observers, will now look to a Super Bowl that carries storylines about dynasty, redemption, and whether a modern-era three-peat is possible.