Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are returning to the AFC Championship Game for the sixth straight season and they’re likely taking Taylor Swift with them along with Travis Kelce’s shirtless older brother.
Dan Campbell has the Detroit Lions one win away from the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance after clinching a spot in the NFC title game on the three-year anniversary of his introductory news conference in teeth knocking and kneecap bite.
The Chiefs and Lions advanced on Sunday with hard-fought wins. The two teams faced the No. 1 seed in their conference: the Baltimore Ravens of the AFC and the San Francisco 49ers of the NFC.
NFL Final Four teams are ready. It will be the Chiefs-Ravens and the Lions-49ers fighting for the right to play for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Mahomes made several brilliant plays in his first road playoff game, plus three Super Bowls, and outscored Josh Allen in a 27-24 win at Buffalo that was clinched when Bills kicker Tyler Bass missed a 44-yard field goal right with 1:43 left. left handed.
Mahomes, the two-time NFL and Super Bowl MVP, threw two touchdown passes to Travis Kelce as Swift and Brittany Mahomes embraced in a suite and topless Eagles All-Pro center Jason Kelce he celebrated by drinking beers in the row behind them.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens (14-4) await the Chiefs (13-6) after defeating the Houston Texans 34-10 on Saturday. It will be the first AFC Championship Game played outside of Kansas City since 2018.
Mahomes had a big smile on his face after the game as he ran off the field, dodging snowballs without a helmet to protect him.
“I love being at Arrowhead (Stadium) and playing in front of that crowd, but when you’re on the road, it’s you against them,” Mahomes said. “It’s you against everyone in the stadium and you have to come together as a team and the boys are doing that.”
Earlier Sunday, Campbell, Jared Goff and the struggling Lions beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-23 to earn their second playoff win in the same season for the first time since 1957, the last year Detroit won the NFL title.
The Lions (14-5) took advantage of costly mistakes, including drops, a missed field goal and Baker Mayfield’s game-sealing interception to put away the Buccaneers.
Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and a ferocious 49ers defense led by Fred Warner stand in Detroit’s way. The Lions have gone 3-13-1 in Campbell’s first season in 2021 on the brink of a trip to Las Vegas.
“Here, man, it’s hard winters, auto industry, blue collar, things aren’t always easy,” Campbell said of giving Detroit fans hope. “And I just think that’s what we’re about. You want something that the city can be proud of. You can look at these guys and say, ‘Man, I can root for this guy.’ I can root for this team. I can resonate with this group of guys . They’re a little salty. They don’t give up. They play hard.’
“And so, I feel like we’ve done that. And I think these guys have a kinship with this city and this area, and they love it, man, and ultimately, that’s what you want. Now, a year from now, two years, they’ll boo us, maybe; that’s another deal, though. But right now, life is good, and I’m glad I can do it.”
As Campbell told his players during his postgame locker room speech, they have two more wins to go.
Getting the next one won’t be easy against the 49ers. Purdy led San Francisco to a 24-21 comeback win over seventh-seeded Green Bay on Saturday night, sending the 49ers (13-5) to the NFC title game for the third straight season.
The Niners had no chance in host Philadelphia last year after Purdy suffered a major elbow injury in the first quarter. They’ll have a nice atmosphere at home as coach Kyle Shanahan tries to get the team back to the Super Bowl after losing to Mahomes and the Chiefs four years ago.
San Francisco opened as a 7-point favorite, while Baltimore is a 3 1/2-point favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
