Chiefs to face Eagles for historic Super Bowl 'three-peat'

Travis Kelce (L) celebrates with girlfriend Taylor Swift after the Kansas City Chiefs set up a repeat of Super Bowl 57 against AJ Brown (R) and the Philadelphia Eagles

The Kansas City Chiefs are one win from an unprecedented NFL 'three-peat' after beating the Buffalo Bills to reach Super Bowl 59.

The Chiefs held on for a thrilling 32-29 win over the Bills to become the first back-to-back champions to return to the Super Bowl.

It is the fifth time in six years that Kansas City have reached the NFL's championship game, winning three of the past five.

They will face the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans on 9 February, in a repeat of Super Bowl 57.

The Eagles came into the Conference Championship games as slight favourites to win this year's Super Bowl and romped to a 55-23 win over the Washington Commanders earlier on Sunday.

Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen is the slight favourite to be named this season's Most Valuable Player but the Bills came up against the Chiefs in the post-season for the fourth time in five years.

And again Kansas City counterpart Patrick Mahomes, a two-time season MVP, came out on top in a nail-biting finish to the AFC Championship game.

Visitors Buffalo led 22-21 coming into the fourth quarter, in which the game hinged on two short-yardage plays by the Bills.

They came either side of two fine touchdown drives and a Chiefs field goal which ultimately proved decisive.

Each time Buffalo turned the ball over on downs, leaving the hosts' offence with less than two minutes to see out the game and close in on NFL immortality.

Chiefs curse continues for Bills

This was seen as Allen's best chance yet to topple the Chiefs and send Buffalo back to the Super Bowl for the first time since losing four straight from 1991 to 1994 and, like their past two play-off meetings, there was just one score in it.

Kansas City running back Kareem Hunt opened the scoring at Arrowhead by barging into the end zone from 12 yards, before the Bills cut the deficit with a field goal.

Mahomes then fumbled a hand-off for the Chiefs' first turnover since losing 30-21 at Buffalo on 17 November, and the Bills took advantage, with James Cook getting into the corner from six yards.

Kansas City went straight back in front when Xavier Worthy reached for the pylon after taking an 11-yard pass from Mahomes, who then scrambled into the end zone to extend the hosts' lead.

The Bills replied with Mack Hollins making a superb catch from Allen's deep shot for a 34-yard touchdown to make it 21-16 at half-time, before going back to their run game on their first drive of the second half, with Cook showing great athleticism to reach over the line.

Then came the first of the crucial fourth-down attempts in the fourth quarter, with Allen controversially ruled short of claiming first down on a quarterback sneak.

Five plays later, Mahomes burrowed over for a 10-yard touchdown, and Allen set up a tense finale by making big plays to Cook and Hollins, before firing a touchdown pass to Curtis Samuel.

Buffalo's defence held Kansas City to a field goal on the next drive but they failed to regain the lead as Allen was pressured into a desperate heave which tight end Dalton Kincaid was unable to hold on to.

It meant the celebrations could begin for the Chiefs, whose tight end Travis Kelce was congratulated on victory by his girlfriend, pop superstar Taylor Swift.

Commanders cannot stop Barkley

Washington were the sixth seed in the NFC Conference and made a surprise run to the brink of their first Super Bowl since 1992, but their dream died as they could not cope with Philly's devastating run game.

Much of the pre-game talk was about whether the Commanders could stop this season's rushing leader Saquon Barkley, who had 2,005 rushing yards in the regular season and 324 from Philly's first two play-off games.

And after Washington opened the scoring with a field goal, the Eagles ran them ragged, with Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts claiming three rushing touchdowns apiece.

Barkley took his team's first play all the way to the end zone for a 60-yard touchdown and punched in another score in the first quarter.

That was the first of four touchdowns the hosts scored right after each of Washington's four turnovers as they claimed the highest-ever score in the Conference Championships.

The Commanders spurned the chance to draw level as they failed to make a two-point conversion after a field goal and a Terry McLaurin touchdown, and touchdowns by Hurts and AJ Brown helped Philly to a 27-15 lead at half-time.

Hurts ran in a nine-yard score in the third quarter and Jayden Daniels, aiming to become the first rookie quarterback to start a Super Bowl, helped Washington cut the score to 34-23 by running in a 10-yard touchdown and making the two-point conversion.

But the Commanders' hopes ended with an Austin Ekeler fumble as it resulted in Hurts' third touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter, before Barkley and Will Shipley added late scores to seal the Eagles' fifth Super Bowl appearance - and third in eight years.

Saquon Barkley now has 2,447 rushing yards this season (including play-offs) - second only to Terrell Davis in 1998 (2,476)