Winners and losers of NFL convention title video games: Josh Allen, Payments nonetheless can't get previous Chiefs – USA TODAY

Eagles-Chiefs.
The matchup for Tremendous Bowl 59 in New Orleans is formally set, because the NFL wrapped up its convention championship weekend, and as Kansas Metropolis seeks to grow to be the primary group in NFL historical past to win three consecutive Tremendous Bowls.
Philadelphia sprinted previous the Washington Commanders in a 55-23 drubbing to safe its fifth Tremendous Bowl look in franchise historical past. And because the Eagles have performed all season lengthy, they relied on All-Pro running back Saquon Barkley to power through in the rushing game.
Within the AFC title recreation,  the Chiefs withstood a late Payments cost, as an all-out blitz from Kansas Metropolis defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo compelled a Josh Allen heave on fourth down that fell incomplete and sealed the game.
Listed below are the winners and losers from the NFL’s convention championship video games.
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It’s clear that Chiefs coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy noticed a mismatch they may exploit via the working skill of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who posted a season-high 11 carries for 43 yards and two touchdowns – additionally a season excessive.
The Chiefs dialed up a sequence of designed runs for Mahomes on rollouts, a lot of them on key third downs and performs within the pink zone. By faking possibility handoffs, Kansas Metropolis obtained Buffalo’s protection to commit, after which Mahomes used his imaginative and prescient to speed up into open house. That was most evident in Kansas Metropolis’s remaining landing of the sport, a 10-yard rollout that gave the Chiefs a seven-point lead early within the fourth.
Whereas the Chiefs have a strong run protection — they ranked eighth within the common season — the Eagles are on one other stage. After speeding for 229 in opposition to the Commanders, Philadelphia is now averaging 227.7 speeding yards per recreation within the postseason. It has additionally scored 10 speeding touchdowns after dropping seven on Washington. 4 of these scores have gone for greater than 40 yards.
Within the playoffs, Saquon Barkley has run the ball 66 occasions for 442 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Of the 12 video games within the postseason to this point, all however one of many successful groups additionally received the turnover battle: the Chiefs within the AFC championship recreation. In truth, 10 of the 12 winners from this postseason performed turnover-free soccer. The collective turnover margin of successful groups within the 2024 playoffs has been +18.
But Kansas Metropolis has now received 17 consecutive one-possession video games, together with 12 this season, counting the playoffs. There is no such thing as a group higher at situational soccer than the Chiefs, no group extra clutch, no group whose methods and play calls appear to foil opponents with extra frequency.
Getting into Sunday, Eagles receiver A.J. Brown was getting extra pub for a book he read on the bench than for his on-field manufacturing. He had caught solely three passes in Philadelphia’s earlier two playoff video games; in opposition to the Commanders, he erupted for six receptions for 96 yards and one landing.
It was thematic of Philadelphia’s strategy to stability. Within the first two Eagles playoff victories, Jalen Hurts threw for 131 and 128 yards. Towards Washington, Hurts threw for 246. It was an encouraging signal for Philly’s passing recreation, although the majority of these yards — 226 of them (or 91.9%) — went to solely three targets: Brown, tight finish Dallas Goedert and receiver DeVonta Smith.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is extensively thought of one of many high assistants within the NFL, and his work within the playoffs persistently affirms that. Towards the Payments, Spagnuolo appeared to have solutions for many issues the Payments threw on the Chiefs.
As an example, Spagnuolo understood Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen’s tendency to run behind his left guard on quarterback sneaks, and Spagnuolo crowded that house with a few of Kansas Metropolis’s high defenders. Buffalo by no means appeared comfy in short-yardage conditions. After which, although it’s well-known that Spagnuolo likes to blitz on third and fourth downs, he saved a fancy one which disguised a nook blitz till the very finish of the sport, deploying it on a fourth-and-5 with two minutes left to play. Allen needed to backpedal and heave a prayer that bounced off of tight finish Dalton Kincaid’s arms.
For many of the season, Washington protected the ball, tying for eighth in giveaways (17). Once they wanted it most, nevertheless, the Commanders coughed up the ball. Washington turned the ball over 4 occasions, and Philadelphia scored 28 factors off of them. In truth, when you issue within the turnover on downs — which doesn’t formally depend as a turnover —  early within the fourth quarter, the Eagles truly scored 35 factors off of “giveaways.”
Buffalo is now 0-4 in opposition to the Chiefs within the playoffs in the course of the Patrick Mahomes-Josh Allen period. Allen grew to become the primary quarterback in NFL historical past to lose 4 playoff begins in opposition to one other quarterback. Sean McDermott grew to become the primary coach to do the identical to a different head coach.
Towards Kansas Metropolis, the Payments performed largely properly, balanced soccer. They didn’t commit a single turnover. They scored touchdowns on all three pink zone journeys. Allen performed extraordinarily properly, going 22-of-34 for 237 yards with two touchdowns and including 39 speeding yards. But Buffalo wanted him to perform a little extra as a runner, and in opposition to elite groups just like the Chiefs, good video games are required to win.
After Terry McLaurin scampered off with a 36-yard landing reception in the midst of the second quarter, Washington missed its two-point conversion try. The rating was 14-12, with the Eagles holding the small lead.
The Commanders would go on to be outscored 41-11 the remainder of the best way. Within the first 4 drives of the sport, Washington put up 173 yards; within the remaining eight, that quantity was solely 187.

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