Chiefs-Bills thriller shows what elite quarterback play is all about, raises overtime questions

When it comes to great endings in Pittsburgh Steelers playoff history, there are plenty to chronicle.

• The Immaculate Reception

• Santonio Holmes’ catch at the end of Super Bowl XLIII

• The comeback against the Browns at Heinz Field

• Jim Harbaugh’s near Hail Mary in the 1995 AFC Championship Game

Just to name a few.

But in terms of extended drama and an accumulation of highlight plays, I can’t come up with a game that equals what we saw Sunday night in the AFC Divisional round game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills.

The last two minutes — and overtime — of the Chiefs’ 42-36 overtime victory felt more like the last two minutes of a top level Elite Eight March Madness college basketball shootout than it did an NFL game.

Nothing but score, after score, after score, in a compressed amount of time to decide regulation — and eventually overtime as well.

• The lead changed hands three times in the final two minutes of regulation and ended with a tie.

• In the last two minutes of regulation and overtime, there were 31 points scored.

• Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was 10 of 13 for 188 yards and two touchdowns … in the last two minutes of regulation and overtime alone.

• From the 11:28 mark of the fourth quarter through the end of the game, there were six straight scoring drives, featuring 350 yards of offense on 43 plays.

• The teams averaged 12.8 yards per play during the last four scoring drives.

Related:

• Chiefs rally past Buffalo, 42-36, in OT in wild playoff game
• Madden Monday: As for Aaron Rodgers coming to the Steelers — 'He's a big mouth'

Mahomes and Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen were both spectacular the entire game. Allen had a passer rating of 136 while Mahomes came in at 123.1. They combined to go 60 of 82 for 707 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. They only took two sacks apiece, despite needing to escape the pocket on multiple occasions, combining to rush for 137 yards.

When we talk about the difference between elite quarterback play and what the Steelers have produced much of the last three years — plus what they are likely to unfurl next season with either Mason Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins — that’s the chasm they need to cross.

The only downside from the game in the eyes of many is that the Bills didn’t get to possess the ball in overtime. NFL rules state if the winner of the coin toss scores a touchdown on its first possession, the game is over.

The loser of the coin toss only gets a chance to possess the ball if its defense holds the other team to a field goal or gets the ball back via a punt, turnover or turnover on downs.

Of course, a defensive touchdown or safety would win the game for the first defensive team as well. But the Bills defense — tops in the NFL in points per game and yards per game allowed — didn’t do any of those things. And the Chiefs marched into the end zone for a game-winning touchdown in just eight plays.

MAHOMES TO KELCE.

THE @CHIEFS WIN THE GAME OF THE YEAR! #NFLPlayoffs #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/9eM2Ur15O0

— NFL (@NFL) January 24, 2022

If some fans and media don’t like the overtime rule, don’t blame the Chiefs. Remember, they wanted to change it after a similar scenario happened to them in a playoff loss to the New England Patriots in 2019.

Back in 2019, the #Chiefs tried… pic.twitter.com/VgBJKge0Pg

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 24, 2022

Also, I have a jaundiced view when players complain about the overtime rule seeing as there is always static and pushback from the NFLPA about extending games too long due to player safety concerns.

As I wrote last week, the way to go for the NFL might be to modify the college format of overtime. Alternate series-for-series until a winner is established. But start at midfield or the opposing 40-yard line, in an effort to make field goals more difficult for experienced NFL kickers. Or simply eliminate the field goal as an option and make it “touchdowns or bust” from the opposition’s 25-yard line.

That would also eliminate the potential of annoying ties in the regular season. Although, as we recently learned in Pittsburgh, the prospect of a tie can occasionally be suspenseful as well.

Occasionally.