Conference Championship Takeaways for the 2024 NFL Season
Coming off last week’s divisional round action, the Super Bowl was anyone’s for the taking. Following two Sunday matchups, we’ve got out big game participants. Both games had mild weather for this time of year. (1) Kansas City edged out (2) Buffalo to keep their threepeat quest alive. Over in the NFC, (2) Philadelphia demolished (6) Washington in a brutal bit of intradivisional dominance. We now get a rematch of the 2023 Super Bowl, and if this year’s edition is anything like that one, we’re in for a treat. If you want to see how this week’s games played out in my conference championship takeaways, continue reading!
AFC
(1) Kansas City Chiefs 32, (2) Buffalo Bills 29
Everyone probably watched this heavyweight battle that came as expected. When Buffalo handed Kansas City their only real loss of the season back in week 11 (I’m not counting that disgrace of a week 18 game against Denver), we knew a postseason rematch would appear, and it lived up to the hype. At first, Bills QB Josh Allen was shaky. Receiving the ball first, Allen nearly threw two INTs on the opening drive, and Buffalo was lucky to punt the ball away. KC then covered 90 yards with ease, mostly passing the ball but scoring on a rushing TD by RB Kareem Hunt (17/64/1). The Bills settled down after that, and we had a game.
Buffalo drove for a field goal, and K Tyler Bass connected from 53 yards, marking the longest made FG in Arrowhead Stadium postseason history. Next, an option play went awry, and the Chiefs fumbled during another good drive; DT Ed Oliver recovered, earning the first turnover against Kansas City since they played these very Bills in week 11. Allen capitalized by firing a bullet to WR Khalil Shakir (6/46) to convert 3rd and 13, and RB James Cook (13/85/2; 3/49 receiving) scored to give Buffalo their first lead. The offense was at its best when the ground game worked, and that was almost all about Cook.
KC didn’t stay down for long. Bills CB Christian Benford, who was questionable coming in due to a concussion, left on a cart due to another concussion (or revived symptoms from the original one). Buffalo was already without S Taylor Rapp (hip), so it fell to former 1st-round bust Kaiir Elam to substitute for Benford. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes picked on Elam relentlessly, especially with WR Xavier Worthy (6/85/1; 2/16 receiving), the man Buffalo passed on via a draft-day trade with KC. Mahomes ran for a 4th-and-1 conversion from his own 39 following a timeout, and Worthy capped the drive with a TD, burning Elam as he did all game.
Buffalo’s subsequent punt was taken back 41 yards by PR Nikko Remigio (who has become quite a good returner), and KC scored again. As usual, the refs assisted the Chiefs on their drive. A 26-yard catch by Worthy should’ve been ruled incomplete. Neither he nor S Cole Bishop had sole possession. Once they hit the ground, tie would’ve gone to the receiver. However, the ball hit the ground as they fell (before either player gained control). Commentator Tony Romo felt that the call should’ve been overturned, but HC Sean McDermott lost his challenge. Trailing 21-10, the final drive of the half felt like a must-score for the Bills.
In MVP fashion, Allen responded. He hit WR Mack Hollins (3/73/1) on a big TD 34-yard TD before the half, and the PAT was good. However, the Chiefs were offside, so Buffalo took the point off the board and went for 2. Their tush push failed, which would become a theme. KC moved well again to start the 3rd quarter, but LB Matt Milano sacked Mahomes out of FG range. Buffalo recommitted to the ground game, posting a 12-play, 80-yard TD drive with just 1 passing play. The Bills converted 4th and short twice, including on the score, where Cook took a pitch and made a great effort to reach the end zone after 7 minutes.
Once again, the 2-point conversion was no good, but Buffalo had a 22-21 lead. The Chiefs did nothing in the 3rd frame, and the 4th quarter began with the Bills facing 4th and 1 at the BUF 48. Allen went over the top, lost the ball, but recovered to move the chains. Three plays later, it was 4th and 1 again, this time at the KC 41. Buffalo again tried the tush push. One line judge marked a first down, while another had Allen short. The refs opted for the latter official’s spot, and the play went to review. Allen clearly reached the 40, but the call stood. Officiating expert Gene Steratore disagreed with that result, as did I.
That play really changed the complexion of the game. Buffalo either needs to rework or retire the tush push, because they were abysmal at it. Philadelphia doesn’t ever need the officials to give them a good spot to convert their tries. As champions do, the Chiefs took advantage of their gift. Mahomes barreled into the end zone on a zone read and converted his two-point try to WR Justin Watson. Not ones to quit, the Bills answered with a 32-yard pass to Hollins and a 4th-down TD to WR Curtis Samuel to tie the game at 29. KC drove into the red zone yet again, but DT Jordan Phillips earned a sack on a bull rush to force an FG.
K Harrison Butker, clutch as he is, converted the 35-yard attempt perfectly. Allen then got the moment Mahomes so often receives: a chance to be the hero. The Bills reached their own 47 at the 2-minute warning and faced 4th and 5. Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo dialed up an exotic blitz that forced Allen to heave a prayer while falling backward. The ball somehow reached the line to gain, but TE Dalton Kincaid dropped it. It wouldn’t have been an easy catch, but it was one that should’ve been made. Two 3rd-down passes by Mahomes ended the game and sent the Bills home with heartbreak yet again.
Allen (22/34, 237 yards, 2 TDs; 11/39 rushing) played another good game against KC in a playoff loss. You start to wonder whether this team can ever get over the hump. Mahomes (18/26, 245 yards, TD; 11/43/2 rushing) accounted for 3 TDs in another example of him rising to the occasion in a pivotal moment. TE Travis Kelce (2/19) was a nonfactor, and I have no clue where WR DeAndre Hopkins (1/11) is. Still, the Chiefs hit 30 points for the first time this year, won their 17th-straight one-score game, and became the only threepeat attempt to make it back to the Super Bowl at all. I can’t wait to see their tush push defense against Philadelphia.
NFC
(2) Philadelphia Eagles 55, (6) Washington Commanders 23
Washington’s run was bound to end. They overachieved for two playoff rounds already, and now they had to play without G Sam Cosmi (torn ACL) or DT Daron Payne (knee). Still, the Commanders opened the game with a statement drive, eating 7 minutes of clock over 18 plays and converting two 4th-down attempts on their way to a field goal. However, it became apparent VERY quickly that FGs wouldn’t be enough against the Eagles. On Philly’s very first play from scrimmage, RB Saquon Barkley broke a 60-yard TD run, electrifying the crowd and putting Washington on notice. For the first time this postseason, they would falter.
All-Pro LB Zack Baun (12 tackles) punched the ball away from Commanders WR Dyami Brown (3/42), and S Reed Blankenship recovered it for Washington’s first turnover of the playoffs. Barkley scored his second TD 6 plays later. Knowing they needed a spark, Washington did something gutsy: they tried a fake punt pass on 4th and 6 from their own 31, and P Tress Way threw a perfect ball to TE Ben Sinnott for 23 yards. The play would yield a field goal and momentum. On the next Eagles’ drive, LB Frankie Luvu sacked QB Jalen Hurts, forcing a 54-yard attempt. K Jake Elliott, shaky from distance this year, missed the kick.
The reason for the sack was confusion at center. Starter Cam Jurgens was active but didn’t play in the first half because of a back injury. However, G Landon Dickerson, who moved over from LG, hurt his knee. He toughed it out for the half and played well, but Jurgens relieved him in the third quarter. Following the FG miss, the Commanders got within 2 points on a Terry McLaurin (3/51/1) TD, but the tying conversion was no good. That was the closest Washington would get. Philadelphia pressed the accelerator, with Hurts firing a perfect 31-yard deep ball to WR AJ Brown on 4th and 5, setting up a tush push TD.
Brown (6/96/1), who had been a nonfactor in Philly’s last two games, was a major catalyst this time. After the score, CB Marshon Lattimore got into it with Brown and incurred a penalty. The Eagles took it and tried another “brotherly shove” but surprisingly failed. That was no matter, as KR Jeremy McNichols fumbled the ensuing kick, ceding possession right back to Philly. Washington nearly got away with it, as a Hurts rushing TD was called back for a hold, but two plays later, CB Mike Sainristil clocked Barkley out of bounds, extending the drive. Hurts capitalized with a TD pass to Brown.
The Commanders put together a really nice FG drive to end the half, and they started the third quarter with two straight TFLs (1 sack). Both teams received rushing scores from their QBs, so Washington hung around at 34-23. Alas, they turned the ball over again. This time, RB Austin Ekeler lost possession, and Baun recovered. Philly tacked on another TD in hilarious fashion. At the 1-yard line, the Eagles lined up for a tush push. However, Washington jumped offside FOUR times, with the refs even warning the Commanders that a score could be award to Philadelphia upon further infractions. Unsurprisingly, the Eagles got in.
Washington never scored again, while the Eagles would add two more TDs. Barkley (15/118/3) had a lighter workload but still made a big impact. I know playoffs don’t count for MVP voting, but they probably should, and Barkley would be my pick for the award. Rookie RB Will Shipley (4/77/1) had a good day following a concussion to backup RB Kenneth Gainwell; he had a 57-yard carry, his first NFL TD, a nice kick return, and a special teams fumble recovery. Hurts (20/28, 246 yards, TD; 10/16/3 rushing) and TE Dallas Goedert (7/85; 2/13 rushing) had their best days in over a month; this offense was really cooking.
The Commanders beat Philly with 5 turnovers last time they met, but that was mostly without Hurts playing. Their four turnovers were insurmountable this time. Rookie QB Jayden Daniels (29/48, 255 yards, TD, INT; 6/48/1) led the team in rushing and played pretty well, but even he committed a turnover. The defense allowed 7 rushing TDs to the Eagles, looking more like their 2023 selves on defense. Only TE Zach Ertz (11/104) had a truly great game in what has been a season of rebirth for the veteran. On the bright side, some true building blocks were unearthed this year, providing confidence that this team will be back.
Looking at the Eagles, I haven’t seen a more complete performance from them this year. Maybe playing a familiar foe helped, but the offense was fantastic and borderline unstoppable. If Hurts can provide a complementary passing attack to help Barkley and the run game, Philly is extremely hard to defend. Speaking of defending, the league’s #1 stop unit looks formidable. I love what I’m seeing up front from all of their Georgia Bulldogs, and the back end has been completely solidified by rookies Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell. I’m inclined to believe that this version of the Eagles is better than the one that lost to KC two years ago.