Chiefs' aggressive all-out blitz seals their Super Bowl berth, earning the title of defensive play call of the year.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Inside the Kansas City huddle, most players anticipated the upcoming call.
“I had a feeling,” defensive end George Karlaftis admitted later. “And I wasn’t alone.”
Cornerback Trent McDuffie felt it too. With a grin, he sprinted to the left side of the field, ready for the snap. He understood the stakes and his role—he’d been itching all game to chase down Josh Allen, and this was his moment.
“I wanted that blitz,” McDuffie reflected on the crucial play in the AFC Championship Game.
With just two minutes remaining, the Chiefs held a narrow 32-29 lead over the Bills, facing a pivotal fourth-and-5 from Buffalo's 47-yard line. A conversion would keep the Bills' hopes alive; a stop would likely send Kansas City to its third straight Super Bowl. The game rested on this single play. McDuffie was ready.
“I looked at Trent and gave him that look,” safety Jordan Hicks recalled. “It was time to go.”
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach observed nervously from the owner’s suite at Arrowhead Stadium, worried his earlier lighthearted comment—“first team to 35 wins”—might come true.
“God, I hope I’m not right,” he thought to himself.
On the sideline, Patrick Mahomes felt a familiar anxiety. “I’m always nervous when the ball isn’t in my hands,” the quarterback admitted.
Owner Clark Hunt, however, was more confident.
“I trust in Spags,” he said later with a smile.
“Spags” is defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, known for his tactical brilliance. Nose tackle Mike Pennel later called him “a wizard.” In this defining moment of the season, Spagnuolo opted for an unexpected play call, loading up the right side of the Bills’ line with pressure and sending McDuffie on an all-out blitz.
Risky? Absolutely. Some players acknowledged the gamble; going all out against a quarterback like Allen could lead to disaster.
Allen is known for making big plays under pressure, a lesson the Chiefs learned the hard way in their Week 11 loss.
“But that’s who Spags is,” safety Bryan Cook remarked. “Life is about taking risks. The real question is: are you confident in that risk?”
And Spagnuolo was confident.
“I figured they’d do something to beat man coverage,” he explained after the Chiefs' victory secured their spot in Super Bowl LIX. “If I’m sending someone, McDuffie is a great choice.”
The Bills were unprepared for the onslaught. Even Tony Romo, commenting for CBS, remarked just before the snap, “(Allen) is going to have time here.”
The execution was swift: Allen was pressured almost immediately. Safety Jordan Reid came in untouched, followed closely by McDuffie, forcing Allen into a desperate throw that soared into the Kansas City sky. Karlaftis tried to avoid a penalty by not falling on Allen as he hit the ground.
Spagnuolo’s call had thrust three Chiefs defenders into the Bills’ backfield in under two seconds, pushing Allen into a near Hail Mary situation with the Super Bowl on the line.
“Spagnuolo waited all game to unleash that exotic pressure,” Romo noted.
But the Bills still had a chance. Allen’s throw lingered in the air.
Hicks lost track of it in the lights. “I thought, ‘Oh no,’” he recalled. “My heart dropped for a second.”
McDuffie watched in slow motion.
Defensive tackle Chris Jones just wanted it to end. “I’m tired,” he admitted. “Get us off the field!”
Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid had a shot at the ball, but it slipped through his fingers. Moments later, the celebration erupted at Arrowhead.
As confetti fell and the Chiefs celebrated their fifth Super Bowl appearance in six years, McDuffie sat on the bench next to Cook, tears streaming down his face. He understood how rare this was. In just three years, the 2022 first-round pick has never lost a playoff game; all he knows are Super Bowls.
“This is something you probably won’t see again,” McDuffie said. “You can’t go back-to-back-to-back.”
Amidst the chatter of growing fatigue around the Chiefs, he smiled. Growing up, his brother was a Patriots fan—the last dynasty before the Chiefs’ reign began.
“I used to hate the Patriots,” McDuffie said. “Now, being in the position everyone’s hating? It’s a great feeling.”
Cigar smoke filled the air as teammates passed around the Lamar Hunt Trophy, music pulsed, and tickets to New Orleans were secured.
One more win, and the Chiefs could achieve a historic milestone no team has ever experienced.
Keyword
bills vs chiefs
chiefs vs bills
where to watch kansas city chiefs vs buffalo bills
bills chiefs
buffalo bills
chiefs bills
super bowl winners
afc championship game
patrick mahomes
buffalo vs kansas city
kansas city chiefs vs buffalo bills match player stats
super bowl history
who won the bills chiefs game
who won the chiefs game today
kansas city
did the chiefs win today
cheifs vs bills
bills vs cheifs
chiefs super bowl wins
afc championship
buffalo bills vs kansas city chiefs match player stats
bills
bills score
score of chiefs game
chiefs
buffalo bills vs kansas city chiefs
bills and chiefs game
bills vs chiefs score
buffalo bills games
who won bills or chiefs
bills chiefs score
football scores
bills cheifs
nfl
kansas city chiefs
who won the football game today
chief
chiefs bills score
did the chiefs win
cheifs bills
afc
who won chiefs or bills
josh allen
who won the chiefs game
sean mcdermott
buffalo bills score
chiefs and bills game
chiefs super bowl appearances
chiefs game
chiefs vs bills score
afc championship game score
bills game
super bowl champions
bills and chiefs
kc chiefs
chief vs bill
kansas city chiefs score today
did the bills win today
who won the bills game
score of bills game
chiefs score
mahomes
chiefs game today
kc vs buffalo
andy reid
chiefs win
football today
buffalo kansas city game
did the bills win
kareem hunt
kansas city vs bills
where to watch buffalo bills vs kansas city chiefs
afc championship score
buffalo bills game today
what was the score of the chiefs game
nfl score
did kansas city chiefs win today
steve spagnuolo
nfl game
kc chiefs game
where to watch chiefs vs bills
bills vs chiefs channel
afc championship game time
bills - chiefs
what time is the chiefs game today
bills game today
chiefs and bills
nfl games today live
kc
kansas city weather
football score
cheifs score
what time do the chiefs play today
lamar hunt
kansas city game
where to watch bills vs chiefs
kansas city chiefs game today
kansas
did chiefs win
who won the chiefs bills game
buffalo
bills vs
bills v chiefs
chiefs vs bills afc championship
nfl game today
what channel is the chiefs game on today
who won the afc championship
chiefs vs
kc game
who won afc championship 2025
where is kansas city
have the bills ever won a superbowl
kansas city chiefs games
who won the kansas city game
buffalo bills super bowls
nfl live
chiefs football
kc chiefs game today
chiefs games
chiefs game score
chiefs roster
what time is the chiefs game
buffalo bills game
patrick mahomes wife
bills game score
kansas city score
chiefs v bills
what time is the bills game
bills football
what is the score of the chiefs game
score of the chiefs game
bills super bowl appearances
kansas city chiefs game
jimmy johnson
paramount+
kansas city chiefs super bowl wins
bills super bowls
noah gray
bills vs chiefs live
bills vs. chiefs
buffalo game
chiefs score today
buffalo bill
chiefs record
chiefs coach
where can i watch the chiefs game today
buffalo bills vs kansas city chiefs stats
afc championship game 2025
kansas city chiefs game today live
kansas city chiefs score
b2 bomber
when do the chiefs play
whats the score of the chiefs game
bills vs chiefs where to watch
buffalo bills roster
kc score
buffalo score
bills quarterback
buffalo bills players
chiefs versus bills
weather in kansas city
bills.
patrick mahomes super bowls
nfl.
kansas vs bills
chiefs bills highlights
lamar hunt trophy
wgr550
bills head coach
buffalo bills coach
bills vs chief
score
chiefs vs bills game
nfl football
buffalo bills quarterback
what channel is the chiefs game on
chiefs vs bills how to watch
bills vs kc
bills qb
ed oliver
bills super bowl wins
kansas city chiefs vs buffalo bills stats
what time is the bills game today
bills vs chiefs streaming
what time does the chiefs play today
did chiefs win today
chiefs vs bills where to watch
chiefs vs bills live
bills versus chiefs
score of the bills game
nfl scores today sunday
chief game
kansas chiefs
buffalo vs chiefs
nflshop
buffalo bills game today live
where are the buffalo bills from
how to watch bills chiefs
chiefs game live
chiefs vs bills predictions
cbs live
2024 afc championship game
watch bills vs chiefs
what channel is the bills game on
where to watch chiefs game
nfl game times
nfl live stream free
bills games
bills va chiefs
what time is the chiefs game on sunday
bills vs eagles
the bills
sports
chiefs.
kansas city super bowl wins
geha stadium
patrick.mahomes
how to watch chiefs bills game
bills score today
espn nfl
chiefs vs bills channel
3 peat
who won football today
what's the score of the chiefs game
bills.score
watch chiefs vs bills
whos winning the chiefs game
bills vs chiefs game
chiefs game time
espn
bills vs chiefs last game
three peat
game today
temperature in kansas city chiefs game
kc weather
what time is chiefs game
chief vs bill score
kansas city chiefs roster
weather kansas city
how to watch the chiefs game today
3 peat super bowl
afc championship game 2024
kc buffalo game
nfl.com
prizepicks
bills game live
championship games nfl
chiefs game channel
watch chiefs game
kc bills
kansas city vs buffalo
buffalo bills state
chiefs game streaming
kc game today
bills.chiefs
bills last super bowl
who won the game today
chief score
afc championship history
chiefs vs bill
chiefs players
chief vs bills
where to watch the chiefs game
bills vs chiefs play by play
josh allen post game interview today
eagles vs bills
buffalo.bills
chiefs vs bills streaming
where to watch bills game
chiefs defensive coordinator
chiefs vs bills last game
nfl streaming
what time do the chiefs play
afc game
bills game streaming
what is the score of the bills game
chiefs record 2024
who is winning the chiefs game
kc bills game
bills vs chiefs live stream free
foxsports.com
how to watch chiefs game
bills mafia
kansas city chiefs coach
what channel is chiefs game on
chiefs bulls
last 3 super bowls
bills cheifs game
buf vs kc
bills playoff history
arrowhead stadium weather
cheifs bills game
how to watch bills game today
threepeat
where can i watch the chiefs game
bills vs chiefs history
chiefs and bills score
how to watch chiefs game today
chiefs superbowl
where can i watch the bills game today
who is favored to win chiefs or bills
trent mcduffie
bills chiefs prediction
where is the chiefs game today
bills game channel
super bowl scores
cheifs game score
mahomes super bowls
fox live
afc championship games
bills stats
did the bills beat the chiefs
kc chiefs super bowl wins
cheifs and bills
game score
bill vs chiefs
chiefs 3 peat
the chiefs
bills chief
bills vs chiefs box score
bills and chiefs score
have the bills been to the super bowl
where is josh allen from
cbs sports live
kc chiefs score
brett veach
where to watch the bills game
chiefs stats
chiefs game where to watch
kansas city chief
afc champions
buffalo bills playoff history
what channel is bills game on
buffalo chiefs game
afc score
chiefs va bills
who won chiefs game
stream
nfl 3 peat
nfl championship
chiefs vs bulls
buffalo vs kansas city 2025
bills kc
chiefs vs buffalo
kareem.hunt
bills vs chiefs espn
b2 spirit
three peat nfl
all super bowl winners
afc championship game channel
super bowl history games
chiefs vs bills live stream
where are the chiefs playing today
chiefs bills spread
who is lamar hunt
bills vs chiefs odds
nfl scores this week
josh allen passing yards today
bills game time
nfl chiefs
chiefs game sunday
where to watch afc championship game
who won the afc championship 2025
when is the bills chiefs game
what time does the bills game start
chiefs superbowls
buffalo bills head coach
afc championship 2024
kc and bills game
how to watch bills game
bills and cheifs
bills chiefs channel
what time is bills game
chiefs live
where is the bills game today
bills vs chiefs 2024
bills chiefs odds
super bowl three peat
when is the chiefs bills game
what time does the chiefs game start
what is the chiefs score
nfl shop chiefs
bills kickoff time
kc cheifs
chiefs championships
buffalo chiefs
where can i watch chiefs game today
chiefs bills prediction
allen bills
buffalo bills vs chiefs
kansas city chiefs vs buffalo bills tickets
who won kansas city game today
watch fox sports
chiefs channel
who won chiefs game today
chiefs vs bills afc championship score
what time is chiefs game today
chiefs vs bills highlights
bills lose
nfl +
bills players
chiefs bills odds
chiefs bills channel
how to watch the bills game today
over under chiefs bills
how to watch afc championship game
what time is it in kansas city
when do the bills play the chiefs
stream chiefs game today
what channel is the afc championship game on
mcdermott bills
chiefs playoff history
when did the eagles go to the super bowl
where can i watch the bills game
buffalo bills score today
what channel is the bills chiefs game on
chiefs afc championship games
where to watch chiefs game today
where can i watch bills vs chiefs
watch bills game
what is the chiefs game on
chiefs kickoff time
bills vs chiefs kickoff time
josh allen vs chiefs
cbs live stream
what channel is chiefs game on today
bills and chiefs game today
bills game where to watch
bills scote
kansas city football
what time does kansas city play today
who won the game
where to stream chiefs game today
chiefs vs bills game time
when is the chiefs game
how can i watch the chiefs game today
kansas city game today
afc championship game streaming
bills chiefs kickoff time
cbs channel
bills chiefs spread
all super bowls
bills vs chiefs highlights
buffalo bills last super bowl
aj epenesa
nfl espn
bills roster 2024
bills vs kansas city
stream bills chiefs
chiefs vs bills odds
tv
