AFC Championship preview: Bills vs. Chiefs breakdown, game prediction

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills have known all season that the road to the Super Bowl runs through Kansas City. Allen & Co. showed they could beat the Chiefs with a 30-21 victory in Buffalo in Week 11. 

The postseason, however, has been a different story. 

Patrick Mahomes owns a 3-0 record over Allen in the playoffs, including a 27-24 win in Buffalo in last season's AFC divisional round. For the second time in four seasons, the Bills and Chiefs will face off in the AFC title game. And this year, the Bills-Chiefs matchup is at Arrowhead Stadium.

"It's what we've worked for," Allen said about facing Mahomes and the Chiefs again. "It's an opportunity to play another week. We don't want our season to end in a loss. And this gives us an opportunity to keep going." 

Here's a closer look at a star-studded AFC Championship showdown. 

No. 1 seed: Kansas City Chiefs

Biggest strength: Of course, Mahomes is the straw the stirs the drink for Kansas City. His unique ability to execute at the end of games is a key reason why the Chiefs have won 16 straight one-score games dating back to last season. Mahomes has a 98.2 career passer rating in the fourth quarter and overtime during the regular season. And that jumps to a 108.6 passer rating in the playoffs. With one of the most clutch quarterbacks in NFL history paired with a future Hall of Fame coach in Andy Reid, the Chiefs will be a difficult out as they chase an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl victory. Winners of nine AFC West division titles in a row dating back to 2016, the Chiefs own the No. 1 seed for the fourth time during Mahomes' tenure. Kansas City has appeared in six AFC championships and four Super Bowls (winning three) since he took over as the starter in 2018.