Chiefs top seed in AFC, but title game could be in Atlanta

Patrick Mahomes is the graybeard of the quarterbacks in the AFC playoffs even though he’s only 27 and wasn’t even born yet when Tom Brady was a freshman at the University of Michigan in 1995.

With Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) out and Teddy Bridgewater, 30, also hurt, the Miami Dolphins are preparing rookie Skylar Thompson, 25, to start at Buffalo this weekend.

That would make Mahomes the oldest starting quarterback in the AFC field.

Mahomes said he certainly feels as if he’s entered a new phase in which he’s no longer the puerile passer who took the league by storm in 2018 when he threw for 50 touchdowns and was the league MVP in his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs’ starter.

“Yeah, I feel like it’s changed. I have two kids now, I’m married. I’m kind of an old soul, so I am kind of the oldest — I am literally the oldest — quarterback in the AFC,” Mahomes said.

“It speaks to the talent that we have in the AFC and the guys that I’m looking around at are going to be there for the long time. So, I’ll be the old head in the AFC for a while now and I’ll try to use that experience to my advantage.”

Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow are both 26. Chargers QB Justin Herbert and Ravens QB Tyler Huntley, who’s filling in for Lamar Jackson (knee), are both 24, and Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is 23.

Not that he’ll be reclining in a rocking chair, but Mahomes gets to sit out wild-card weekend after the Chiefs earned the top seed in the AFC for the third time in his five seasons as the starter.

If they win in the divisional round, the Chiefs would host the conference championship game for a record-extending fifth consecutive year so long as the opponent isn’t the Bills (13-3), whose game at Cincinnati was canceled after safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on Jan 2.

If the Bills and Chiefs reach the AFC title game, it will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The league brokered the neutral site deal because Buffalo could have been the top seed with a victory over the Bengals.

It all starts Saturday when the Chargers (10-7) visit the Jaguars (9-8) for the playoff debuts of Herbert and Lawrence. On Sunday, the Dolphins (9-8) visit the Bills (13-3) and the Ravens (10-7) visit the Bengals (12-4).

1. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (14-3). Two Lombardi trophies in four Super Bowl appearances: lost to Packers 35-10 in Super Bowl 1, beat Vikings 23-7 in Super Bowl 4, beat 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl 54, lost to Buccaneers 31-9 in Super Bowl 55. Last year: No. 2 seed, beat Steelers 42-21 in wild-card round, beat Bills 42-36 (OT) in divisional round, lost to Bengals 27-24 (OT) in AFC championship game. Eighth consecutive trip to the playoffs. Seventh consecutive AFC West title.

Plan the parade: Because of Patrick Mahomes. It’s the same reason as last year and the three years before, all of which ended in the AFC title game or beyond. He has never failed to advance past the divisional round as the full-time starter in Kansas City. Mahomes was better than ever this season despite losing Tyreek Hill in a trade with Miami. He threw for 5,250 yards to break his own franchise record along with a league-best 41 TD throws.

Hold the confetti: Turnovers, penalties and special teams. The Chiefs were minus-3 in turnover differential this season, putting them squarely in the bottom half of the league. They also were in the bottom half in penalty yards. And long a strong suit for Kansas City, special teams have been a headache. Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney have had trouble with fumbles on punt returns and Harrison Butker is a career-worst 18 of 24 on field-goal attempts with three missed PATs.

“We had a lot of close games this year where we had to step up, and guys had to step up, in big moments, and even though it doesn’t make it easy as a fan watching it, I think it shows that we have guys that will compete at the end of the games and make these plays to win football games.” — Mahomes.

2. BUFFALO BILLS (13-3). No Lombardi trophies in four Super Bowl appearances: lost to Giants 20-19 in Super Bowl 25, lost to Washington 37-24 in Super Bowl 26, lost to Cowboys 52-17 in Super Bowl 27, lost to Cowboys 30-13 in Super Bowl 28. Last year: 11-6, No. 3 seed, beat Patriots 47-17 in wild-card round, lost to Chiefs 42-36 (OT) in divisional round. Third straight AFC East title.

Plan the parade: With Josh Allen at quarterback, any objective is achievable. Though he’s thrown 14 interceptions, he’s also shown an ability to carry the Bills on his back. Buffalo is 8-3 when trailing at any juncture of a game this season after going 2-6 last year. The Bills’ three losses have been decided by three points or fewer. The team is also battle-tested in having overcome much adversity in closing out the season winning seven straight and matching a single-season record for victories. The Bills have won despite having their schedule disrupted by two major winter storms, and they rallied to close the season by beating New England following an emotionally draining week following Hamlin’s collapse at Cincinnati.

Cancel the confetti: Injuries are becoming an issue with the most notable to Von Miller, who significantly muscled up Buffalo’s middling pass rush before sustaining a season-ending knee injury in November. Miller was the missing piece on a defense that had trouble generating pressure at Kansas City in the playoffs last year. Buffalo’s secondary is also thin. Hamlin was starting in place of Micah Hyde, who has been sidelined by a neck injury since September. CB Tre’Davious White is gradually returning to form since being activated in November after missing a calendar year with a knee injury.

“I’m so proud of our organization, our team, just so many people, the way we’ve dealt with so much this year.” — GM Brandon Beane.