Pat Mahomes and the Chiefs will take on Tom Brady and the Patriots in the 2019 AFC Championship Game next Sunday night. The showdown between two of the game’s most prolific quarterbacks – one expected to win league MVP in his first full NFL season, the other a surefire future Hall of Famer still on his game – will determine which team advances to Super Bowl LIII.
The Patriots booked their spot in the conference championship game by overpowering the Chargers, 41-28, in what was supposed difficult Divisional Round matchup. New England scored touchdowns on its first four possessions behind a dominant running game to emerge with a 35-7 lead at halftime, and Philip Rivers never found the rhythm necessary to engineer a massive comeback on the road.
Sony Michel had a huge game on the ground Sunday for the Pats by rushing 23 times for 127 yards and three scores. Brady was also productive through the air with 343 passing yards and a touchdown pass. Rivers, meanwhile, threw for 331 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
Led by Mahomes, the Chiefs are trying to make the Super Bowl for the first time since they won it in 1969. This is their first appearance in the AFC Championship Game since 1993, when Joe Montana was slinging passes for the franchise, so that fan base has been waiting a long time to break through again. Mahomes, one of just three quarterbacks in league history to throw 50 touchdowns in a regular season, seems to be the catalyst that changes the dynamic for Kansas City.
Here’s how to watch the AFC Championship Game, which is shaping up to be one of the most thrilling football matchups of the year.
Patriots vs. Chiefs, 2019 AFC Championship Game
Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
Time: 5:40 p.m. CT
TV: CBS
Live stream: CBS All-Access