Look back at the three playoff games between Bills & Chiefs

Thurman Thomas (Jeff Kern, Wikimedia Commons)

On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills will play the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium for the AFC Championship. Unlike the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers who have played each other only once before in the postseason, the Bills and Chiefs have played each other thrice in the playoffs (1967 AFL Championship, the 1992 AFC Divisional Playoff, and the 1994 AFC Championship). The Chiefs won the first playoff encounter, while the Bills have won the last two meetings.

In 1966, the Bills and Chiefs both played in the American Football League. The Bills had the best record in the Eastern Division at nine wins, four losses, and one tie. The Chiefs had the best record in the Western Division at 11 wins, two losses, and one tie. At the time, only the division champions in the AFL made the playoffs, with the winner going to the AFL Championship Game. On New Year’s Day, 1967, the Chiefs beat the Bills 31-7. Len Dawson of Alliance, Ohio completed 16 of 24 passes for 227 yards, and two touchdowns, while running back Mike Garrett of Los Angeles, California, had two rushing touchdowns. The Chiefs would go on to lose Super Bowl I by a score of 35-10 to the Green Bay Packers.

In the 1990s, the Bills beat the Chiefs twice in a span of three years. After the 1991 regular season, the Bills won the AFC East with a record of 13 wins and three losses. The Chiefs were second in the AFC West with a record of 10 wins and six losses.

The Bills got a bye to the AFC Divisional Playoff by winning the AFC East. The Chiefs meanwhile beat the Los Angeles Raiders 10-6 in the AFC Wildcard. In the divisional playoff game, the Bills hammered the Chiefs 37-14. Buffalo was led by quarterback Jim Kelly of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, running back Thurman Thomas of Houston, Texas, and wide receiver Andre Reed of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kelly completed 23 of 35 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns, Thomas had 22 rushes for 100 yards, and Reed had four catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns.

Kelly’s first two touchdowns were to Reed of 25 and 53 yards in the first quarter. The Bills won despite the fact Kelly threw three interceptions. The Bills then beat the Denver Broncos 10-7 in the AFC Championship, before losing to the Washington Redskins 37-24 in the Super Bowl.

In the 1993 NFL season, the Bills won the AFC East with a record of 12 wins and four losses. The Chiefs won the AFC West with a record of 11 wins and five losses. The Bills beat the Los Angeles Raiders 29-23 in the AFC Divisional Playoff, and the Chiefs beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24 in the AFC Wildcard Game, and then the Houston Oilers 28-20 in the AFC Divisional Playoff.

In the 1994 AFC Championship, the Bills beat the Chiefs 30-13. The Bills star was Thomas, who had 33 rushes for 186 yards, and three touchdowns. Buffalo would go on to lose Super Bowl XXVIII, by the exact same score of 30-13 to the Dallas Cowboys.

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