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Familiar foes await Bills in AFC championship after tight win over Ravens
Dan Gelston • January 20th, 2025 5:30 pm
Photo: AP
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills will take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game for their fourth playoff match-up in five years.
Allen ran for two touchdowns as the Bills beat Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens 27-25 in a divisional game on Monday (NZ time).
Mark Andrews dropped a pass from Jackson on a two-point conversion that would have tied it with 1:33 remaining and Buffalo held on for the victory.
The Chiefs have defeated the Bills three straight times in the playoffs, including the conference title game four years ago in Kansas City.
Saquon Barkley I Photo: NFL
Earlier, Saquon Barkley dashed through the snow for touchdown runs of 78 and 62 yards as the Philadelphia Eagles held on against the turnover-happy Los Angeles Rams 28-22 to advance to the NFC championship game for the second time in three seasons.
Barkley finished with 205 yards rushing and teammate Jalen Hurts had a 44-yard scoring run.
In freezing conditions, Barkley ran for a 62-yard score in the first half and stretched the lead in the fourth when he blew through a hole and ran untouched 78 yards for the touchdown.
He smacked his helmet with his hand on his final snowy steps and flapped his arms once he hit the end zone.
Barkley slid into the snow - Slide, Eagles, Slide! - in the late-game celebration.
These Philly Snow Birds had cause for celebration - they will host the NFC championship game on Monday (NZ time) against Washington, after the Commanders upset No. 1 seeds Detroit on Sunday.
"The elements was great, but the atmosphere was even better," Barkley said.
"Our fans were amazing. That was a close one, but that's playoff football. And at the end of the day, we got the job done."
The Rams kept the upset threat alive - caused in large part by two missed extra points by Philadelphia's Jake Elliott.
Matthew Stafford kept the Rams in the game with a four-yard TD pass to Colby Parkinson that made it 28-22.
The Rams got the ball back with two minutes left and Stafford completed consecutive passes of 11 and 37 yards to move the ball into Eagles' territory.
But Stafford was sacked by Jalen Carter on third down and threw an incomplete pass on fourth down to end the threat.
The Eagles are set to host the NFC championship game for the fifth time since Lincoln Financial Field opened in 2003.
- AP
Ben Graham recaps Philadelphia knocking off the LA Rams to advance to the NFC championship game
