ORCHARD PARK — The dragon wore No. 15, and a determined fan base that has lived with the reminiscence of 4 successive Tremendous Bowl failures, the final one 30 years in the past, howled each ounce of cold-blooded venom it may summon at him.
This dragon had breathed fireplace on their goals twice earlier than, however that was in Kansas Metropolis, it couldn’t occur now, wouldn’t occur now in his first street playoff sport. On this evening, 60 spine-tingling minutes from the AFC Championship sport, all of western New York turned its lonely eyes to you, Josh Allen, to cease this fire-breathing dragon from melting the largest NFL goals.
It should have appeared merciless to the Payments Mafia military that was bundled up inside Highmark Stadium on Sunday evening that Patrick Mahomes was born after Extensive Proper, was born 20 months after the final time their beloved Payments would get to play for a Lombardi Trophy, and there he was, stalking his third Tremendous Bowl championship with the Chiefs.
It was time to slay the dragon.
Mahomes could have had Taylor Swift cheering him and Travis Kelce on however Allen had a deafening refrain that Jim Kelly and the boys of yesteryear would have acknowledged.
Slay the rattling dragon and also you go to Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore for the AFC Championship sport subsequent Sunday. Slay the rattling dragon and go chase historical past. Slay the rattling dragon and provides your self an opportunity to take a look at of Heartbreak Resort.
Patrick Mahomes (17-for-23, 215 yards, 2 TDs, 6-19 speeding) versus Josh Allen (26-for-39, 186 yards, 1 TD, 12-72-2 TDs speeding).
Coronary heart in everybody’s throat, from Kansas Metropolis to Buffalo and each place else.
The dragon slayed the Payments.
The dragon slayed Josh Allen.
Patrick Mahomes 27, Josh Allen 24.
“I really like being at Arrowhead and taking part in in entrance of that crowd, however whenever you’re on the street, it’s you [versus] them,” Mahomes mentioned. “It’s you [versus] everyone within the stadium.”
Mahomes versus The World and The World misplaced.
“Shedding sucks,” Allen would say. “Shedding to them, dropping to anyone at residence sucks.”
This was compelling theater and excessive drama as two heavyweights pressed to impose their will on the evening.
Two pressure-proof, weather-proof quarterbacks going toe-to-toe within the middle of the ring.
Sixty minutes of ebb and move.
Mahomes forward. Mahomes behind. Allen forward. Allen behind.
“I do know that’s it gonna come right down to the tip, simply ’explanation for the competitor that he’s and the participant that he’s,” Mahomes mentioned.
Now it was the fourth quarter.
“I went over to the protection and I informed ’em, if y’all shut it down, we’ll win this soccer sport and we’ll go to the AFC Championship sport,” Mahomes mentioned.
Mahomes, trailing 24-20, had simply hit Marquez Valdes Scantling for 32 yards and Isiah Pacheco’s 4-yard TD run made it Mahomes 27, Allen 24.
And abruptly Sean McDermott made a bet he may have regretted: direct snap to Damar Hamlin fourth-and-5 at his 30. It bought 2 yards.
The soccer gods saved him. Mecole Hardman, first-and-goal on the 3, fumbled a catch by the tip zone. After a profitable McDermott problem overruled that Hardman was down by contact on the 1, it was Allen’s ball.
Now there was 8:23 remaining to subsequent week or subsequent season.
Stefon Diggs let a bomb slip by his arms. Allen didn’t flinch. Fourth-and-3 on the 50: 10 yards to Khalil Shakir.
Now he was 26 yards from subsequent week or subsequent season on the two-minute warning.
He missed Shakir ultimately zone. “Simply couldn’t get into the throw,” Allen mentioned.
Tyler Bass 44-yard FG to tie.
WIDE RIGHT. Heavens to Scott Norwood, WIDE RIGHT.
“I want he wouldn’t have been put in that scenario,” Allen mentioned. “You win as a group, you lose as a group. One play doesn’t outline a sport.”
Mahomes had taken the opening second-half kickoff and hit Valdes-Scantling for 30 yards, scrambled for twenty-four extra and located Travis Kelce for the 3-yard TD go that was their sixteenth and broke the Tom Brady-Rob Gronkowski TD connection and made it Mahomes 20, Allen 17.
(Pan to Taylor Swift in suite celebrating with a shirtless Jason Kelce gulping a beverage of alternative behind her.)
Allen discovered Shakir on third down with a 13-yard TD go. Allen 24, Mahomes 20.
“We bought to make yet one more play and we didn’t,” Allen mentioned.
Final one with the ball would have received in extra time. The dragon didn’t get the prospect.
“It was enjoyable,” Mahomes mentioned.
He will get to have extra enjoyable in Baltimore, and an opportunity to defend his crown.