Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl set after more heartbreak for Bills; Commanders have brutal day

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🏈 Good morning to all, however particularly to …

THE SUPER BOWL-BOUND KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AND PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

It is at all times the Chiefs. It is at all times, at all times, at all times the Chiefs. Kansas Metropolis’s quest for the first Super Bowl three-peat is alive and properly after a 32-29 win over the Payments, and it occurred the way in which it so typically does: in clutch, nail-biting style, powered by Patrick Mahomes.

Kansas Metropolis will face a well-recognized foe in Tremendous Bowl: The Eagles are additionally heading to the big game after a 55-23 blowout of the Commanders that noticed Philadelphia set one document after one other.

Let’s begin in Kansas Metropolis, although, the place Mahomes was very good once more.

• Trailing by one early within the fourth quarter, Mahomes rumbled in from 10 yards out for a landing and threw the two-point conversion to Justin Watson for a 29-22 Chiefs lead.
• After Josh Allen answered with a landing drive of his personal, Mahomes led a fast area purpose drive, making it 32-29 Chiefs.
• And there it might keep. After Allen did not convert on fourth down, Mahomes threw first-down passes to Kareem Hunt and Samaje Perine to seal the win.

Say what you’ll in regards to the Chiefs’ close-game efficiency — they’ve received 16 straight single-possession video games — the rationale they win so lots of them is that they’re so good at these slim margins regardless of their imperfections.

Mahomes is a stone-cold killer together with his legs (two speeding touchdowns for the primary time in his profession) and his arm, and Andy Reid is aware of use each features. With Travis Kelce blanketed, Mahomes relied on other options; Xavier Worthy, whom the Payments passed on in the draft, had 101 whole yards and a landing.

You is perhaps bored with the Chiefs. You may assume they’re fortunate or favored by the refs or annoying or no matter. However that is an unprecedented run headed by an all-time nice quarterback and an all-time nice teaching employees, a crew that makes huge play after huge play and by no means blinks when each different crew closes its eyes and hopes. It is unreal.

The Eagles, alternatively, had no have to chew their nails. They had been too busy operating round, over and thru an overwhelmed Washington protection. Saquon Barkley scored a 60-yard touchdown on Philadelphia’s first play, and that was simply the beginning.

• The 55 factors are a convention championship document. The seven speeding touchdowns — three from Barkley (who fulfilled a promise), three from Jalen Hurts and one from Will Shipley — tied a playoff document.
• The bottom recreation was so overpowering the officers nearly gave Philadelphia points before it actually scored, a wild, little-known rule.
• The Eagles additionally compelled 4 turnovers, none greater than one late within the third quarter: Washington, trailing 34-23, was driving when Oren Burks punched the ball out from Austin Ekeler. Zack Baun recovered, and the guests by no means threatened once more.

Philadelphia was merely superior in almost each side, and it confirmed. We’ll get to the Commanders in a bit, however this appeared like a completed product taking over a hopeful upstart forward of schedule. The Eagles’ largest concern coming in might have been Hurts, however he answered in record-setting fashion. I used to be impressed by his sack avoidance (a giant problem final week) and his downfield accuracy, which helped ignite the air assault. Jeff Kerr wrote on Hurts silencing the doubters.

And as should you needed to ask, the Eagles’ trustworthy celebrated appropriately.

👍 Honorable mentions

💔 And never such a very good morning for …

THE BUFFALO BILLS AND THE WASHINGTON COMMANDERS

It is at all times the Chiefs. It is at all times, at all times, at all times the Chiefs. That is the fourth time in the last five seasons Buffalo’s season has ended by the hands of Kansas Metropolis. In three of these 4 video games, the Payments led within the fourth quarter.

What extra can we are saying?

• On Buffalo’s third-to-last drive, Allen got here up inches quick on a fourth-down quarterback sneak, a scenario he had been nine-for-nine on this season.
• On Buffalo’s ultimate drive, Steve Spagnuolo sent a perfectly timed blitz, and Allen nonetheless managed to almost full the go, just for Dalton Kincaid to be unable to reel it in.
• Then, the Payments protection had a number of alternatives to get the ball again to their offense, just for Mahomes to ship the ultimate daggers.

How a lot heartache can one crew take? Allen was crushed. The Payments will, assuredly, hold coming again. Allen is a celebrity, James Cook dinner is ascending, the offensive line is terrific, and the protection is well-coached. But it surely’s simply not sufficient, or at the very least it hasn’t been sufficient. One other lengthy offseason awaits.

The Commanders’ dreamlike season is over, too. Perhaps not in heartbreaking style, however completely in disappointing style. Most of the lumps Jayden Daniels helped cowl all season had been on full show towards an opponent that was merely higher.

• The 4 turnovers had been in all probability probably the most disappointing side contemplating Washington had zero turnovers in its first two postseason video games. Groups that lose the turnover battle are 1-8 this postseason.
• The shortcoming to cease the run was nothing new, although. Washington allowed the fifth-most yards per carry this common season and the second-most within the playoffs.
• Washington additionally struggled to run the ball down the stretch. Washington’s non-quarterbacks averaged 3.4 yards per carry over the Commanders’ ultimate seven video games (together with playoffs). Sunday, they averaged 2.1.

Not like the Payments, the Commanders are new to playoff heartbreak. This was their first convention championship recreation since 1991. With Daniels main the way in which, Washington produced an unbelievable one-year turnaround. One can say the Commanders “arrived early,” however the NFL cares not for timelines. They will need to proceed to hit on draft picks, including to the trenches, the defensive secondary and Daniels’ weapons.

Nonetheless, Washington has its quarterback after a decades-long hunt, and that, inarguably, is an enormous step.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

🏈 Early Tremendous Bowl preview, odds:

All proper, so it is set! Chiefs-Eagles in Tremendous Bowl LIX, a rematch of their assembly two years in the past, when Kansas Metropolis received a 38-35 thriller. Let’s set the scene:

🏀 No. 1 Auburn holds off No. 6 Tennessee, Cooper Flagg rescues No. 2 Duke

With no extra faculty soccer and just one NFL recreation left, I hope you are being attentive to faculty basketball, as a result of there are barnburners all throughout the nation.

The easiest on the lads’s aspect is occurring within the SEC. This weekend, that meant No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 6 Tennessee. The Tigers squeaked out a 53-51 home win over the Volunteers, with Miles Kelly nailing a go-ahead 3-pointer with 33 seconds left and Zakai Zeigler lacking a possible go-ahead 3 shortly thereafter. Johni Broome returned from an ankle injury to publish 16 factors and 13 rebounds, a rugged effort emblematic of a rugged recreation.

There have been lots extra dramatics throughout the southeast (and wherever the SEC extends to these days) …

However probably the most drama belonged within the Huge 12, the place No. 12 Kansas blew a six-point lead within the final eight seconds of time beyond regulation in an eventual 92-86 double-overtime loss to No. 7 Houston. The Jayhawks additionally blew a six-point lead with simply over a minute left in regulation.

The regulation collapse was unhealthy. The time beyond regulation collapse was beautiful. Kyle broke down how it happened, and the Jayhawks had been a simple choose for the “loser” aspect of our weekend winners and losers.

Here is extra:

🏀 Kelsey Plum to Sparks, Jewell Loyd to Aces in WNBA blockbuster

Talking of basketball drama, we received a blockbuster WNBA trade Sunday. Listed here are the main points:

• Sparks get: Kelsey Plum, 2025 No. 9 choose, 2026 2nd-round choose
• Aces get: Jewell Loyd, 2025 No. 13 choose
• Storm get: No. 2 choose within the 2025 WNBA Draft, 2026 1st-round choose, Li Yueru

Loyd, a six-time All-Star and one of many league’s most prolific scorers, requested a trade back in December after an investigation discovered no wrongdoing by the Seattle employees. Loyd accused Noelle Quinn and her employees of harassment and bullying. Now, she has a brand new house alongside A’ja Wilson, Jackie Younger and Chelsea Grey, amongst others.

Plum, a three-time All-Star, was a free agent this offseason, however Las Vegas designated her as a core participant, that means the one method she may depart was through a commerce she agreed to. Now, she joins a Sparks squad that went 8-32 in 2024 however has expertise in kids Rickea Jackson and Cameron Brink (coming back from a torn ACL) and simply received a breakout 12 months from Dearica Hamby.

The Storm went 25-15 final 12 months however misplaced within the first spherical. They will have loads of intriguing choices within the draft.

🎾 Jannik Sinner, Madison Keys win Australian Open males’s, girls’s titles

For Jannik Sinner, it is extra of the identical. For Madison Keys, it is the breakthrough of a lifetime. Sinner, the world No. 1, defeated No. 2 Alexander Zverev, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, for his second straight Australian Open males’s title, someday after No. 19 Keys upset No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, for her first main.

• Sinner, 23, is 80-6 because the begin of 2024, with three majors and 9 ATP trophies. His three slams equal the whole of all different Italian males mixed.
• Keys, 29, was in simply her second profession slam ultimate, and her first since 2017. She’s the fourth-oldest first-time girls’s Grand Slam winner.
• Keys turned the primary participant to defeat the highest two gamers within the ultimate two rounds of a slam since Venus Williams did it at Wimbledon in 2005.

📺 What we’re watching Monday

🏀 Pistons at Cavaliers, 7 p.m. on NBA TV
🏀 No. 2 South Carolina at No. 17 Tennessee (W), 7 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Unequalled, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 NC State at No. 2 Duke (M), 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Clippers at Suns, 9:30 p.m. on NBA TV
🏀 No. 3 Iowa State at Arizona (M), 10:30 p.m. on ESPN