This will be just the third time that teams with 13 or more regular season wins each have met in the conference’s championship game, the others seeing the Jaguars take on the Titans in 1999 and then the Steelers against the Patriots five years later.
Kansas City are the reigning champions and the top seeds, yet they go into the game with a major injury cloud over their superstar quarterback. Patrick Mahomes was unable to finish the Divisional Round win over the Cleveland Browns due to a concussion in the third quarter, leaving Chad Henne to see the team over the line.
A second-round pick in 2008, Henne experienced both highs and lows during his first playoff experience. He would definitely have wanted to try again with a deep throw that was intercepted, yet he also completed a key fourth-down pass that sealed a 22-17 triumph.
Mahomes has been limited in practice as he goes through the NFL's concussion protocols but it is hoped he will be fit to face the Bills, who have no such concerns over the health of starter Josh Allen.
Quarterbacks in the spotlight
The showdown will potentially be the second all-time meeting in the conference championship round between starting quarterbacks aged 25 or younger, the other coming back in 1979 when Vince Ferragamo and the Rams went up against Doug Williams' Buccaneers in the NFC. This will be the second meeting between the teams this season, though. Back in Week 6, Buffalo suffered their only home loss as the visiting Chiefs prevailed 26-17, though Mahomes was happy to play a supporting role as the visitors piled up 245 yards rushing.
Super Bowl heartache
The Bills will be confident they can avenge that October defeat on the road, particularly after an impressive display from their defense in the 17-3 victory over the Baltimore Ravens last time out. Buffalo allowed the fewest number of points in a playoff game since 1992, in a period when the franchise was hugely successful under head coach Marv Levy. Indeed, they are the only team ever to win conference title games in four straight years, from 1990-93. A Super Bowl triumph eluded them back then, but could this finally be their year? If they want to keep their hopes alive in 2021, they will surely need to be more proficient at running the ball this week, having posted a season-low 32 yards on the ground against the Ravens.
Too tight to call?
The Chiefs - appearing in the AFC Championship decider for a third straight year - have made a habit of being involved in close encounters during this campaign. Andy Reid's team have come out on top in eight of their last nine outings, though all those victories have come by six or fewer points, the longest single-season streak in NFL history (including playoffs) of wins by six points or less. The numbers suggest we could be in for further drama this weekend, while Mahomes' availability could prove crucial in deciding who ends up lifting the Lamar Hunt Trophy at Arrowhead Stadium.
Mahomes and the Chiefs had to go to overtime to defeat the one-win Houston Texans 30-24 and clinch the AFC West for the seventh successive season on Sunday.
The 2018 MVP completed 36 of his 41 passes for 336 yards and two touchdowns, as well as running for another score, though his impressive performance through the air was undermined somewhat by Kansas City committing 10 penalties for 102 yards and the Chiefs twice turning the ball over on fumbles.
Jalen Hurts, the quarterback of the 13-1 Philadelphia Eagles who look destined for the one seed in the NFC, is the bookmakers' favourite for the MVP.
The Chiefs are 11-3 and on course to finish as the AFC's second seed, but Reid believes Mahomes is still worthy of a second MVP despite the Eagles' superior record.
"You saw Pat and what he did. I mean, he took care of business today," Reid said in his press conference when asked about the team cleaning up penalties.
"He went back to work and worked on it. I mean, you're talking about a guy that, if he's not the MVP in the league, I'm not sure what’s wrong with them.
"But he cleaned it up and comes out, and we have almost 500 yards of offense, minus 100 of penalties.
"That’s a pretty spectacular day there. But that's what he did. Great example of how you go back to the drawing board and make sure that you clean everything up."
Mahomes leads the NFL with 4,496 passing yards and 35 passing touchdowns, while his 40 passing plays of 25 yards or more are the most in the league and nine more than that of Hurts.
The Chiefs ended a 50-year wait for a title thanks to a thrilling 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, having trailed by 10 points during the fourth quarter of the game in Miami.
It marked the crowning glory in the career of popular head coach Reid, who finally won a Super Bowl ring for the first time, and he clearly has little intention of it being his only success.
Speaking in front of fans, Reid declared: "Next year we're coming right back here. One more time, baby. One more time."
The trophy for the AFC champion is named after Lamar Hunt, the father of franchise owner Clark Hunt.
Lamar Hunt died in 2006 and superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who gleefully chugged beers on the bus during the journey, said that was part of the inspiration for the Chiefs.
"When I became the starter, the first thing I wanted to do was bring the Lamar Hunt Trophy back to Kansas City, back to this organisation," said Mahomes, who was named MVP for the game.
"And the second most important thing I wanted to do was bring the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the best coach in the National Football League."
Among the celebrations and shenanigans, Travis Kelce adorned a Louis Vuitton coat reportedly worth $20,000, as well as a custom-made WWE title belt strapped around his waist.
Stepping up to the microphone, Kelce bellowed out, "Can you dig it?" and screamed, "You've got to fight for your right to party" in reference to team's anthem by The Beastie Boys.
Hollywood actor and Chiefs fan Paul Rudd also got in on in the act, sharing what the result meant to him while speaking to the NFL Network.
"You get the feeling that no one else in the league is paying attention. It's a small market. Only Chiefs fans know about it," Rudd said.
"It's the first time I've been able to say to my son, 'You can be proud of this team, you don't have to wait until next year'. It's pure elation.
"Every single year since he was seven, he cries at the end of the season. This year, he cried more than ever, but they were happy tears."
On Sunday, the Chiefs said Reid left Arrowhead Stadium in an ambulance following their 30-24 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers having felt ill.
He was taken to The University of Kansas Health System for further evaluation.
In an update on Monday, the Chiefs said Reid was in "great spirits" and "doing well" after being released.
Taking Reid's Monday media conference, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said: "The most important thing is coach Reid, so we're glad that he's feeling better."
Kansas City's loss dropped them to 1-2, their first losing record since the 2015 season.
The Chiefs will attempt to bounce back in Week 4 on Sunday when they visit Reid's former team the Philadelphia Eagles.
Reid was on the sidelines as the Chiefs suffered consecutive NFL losses, beaten 30-24 by visiting AFC West rivals the Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium.
The 63-year-old Super Bowl-winning coach, however, fell ill and left the stadium in an ambulance.
"Head coach Andy Reid felt ill at the conclusion of the game," the Chiefs said in a statement amid reports the veteran was treated for dehydration.
"He was evaluated by our medical staff in the locker room, and [as] a precaution, was transported to The University of Kansas Health System for further evaluation. Coach is doing well, currently resting and in stable condition."
Reid did not address the media as a result, with assistant head coach Dave Toub speaking to reporters after the Chiefs fell to 1-2 to start the season.
The Chiefs – two-time defending conference champions – have a losing record for the first time since Week 11 of the 2015 season.
"This is unusual for us, to be honest," Toub said. "It's a little bit of a crossroads for us, I think. We've got great leadership and our guys are going to battle back.
"Our guys are going to battle back strong. We're going to have a great week of practice and clean it up. We've got to clean up the game, clean up the turnovers, execute on the offensive side of the ball, create turnovers on defense and stops on defense and play solid special teams. We'll get back on track."
Mahomes made history by becoming the fastest quarterback to 100 touchdown passes, reaching the total in 40 games, as the Chiefs won a 33-31 thriller with the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
Super Bowl MVP Mahomes hit Tyreek Hill for his landmark touchdown and connected with the same receiver to put the Chiefs (8-1) up 33-24 with under eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Mahomes finished 30 of 45 for 372 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions against the Panthers in Kansas City.
"You're seeing the best of him right now,'' Reid said. "And some of it you might not see, the things he does behind the scenes, whether it's the look-offs and [other] small, subtle things.
"We have full confidence that he'll do what he needs to do to win a game. That's how he operates.''
Mahomes has completed 220 of 329 passes for 2,687 yards, 25 touchdowns and just one interception through nine games this season.
The Chiefs QB is second to Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2,746) for passing yards in 2020, while only Seattle Seahawks star Russell Wilson (28) has tallied more TDs this year.
Since being drafted with the 10th pick in 2017, Mahomes has 944 completions, 12,099 yards and 101 touchdowns, to go with 19 interceptions.
"I think I just understand the game more,'' Mahomes said. "Last year I just didn't have as many stats to kind of [pad the total], I guess you could say. But I feel like I was playing better last year than I did the year before.
"This year we're getting the touchdowns we didn't have last year. But every year I'm more comfortable within the offense, I'm more comfortable reading the defenses and understanding where the ball is going to go even before the snap of the ball.''
Mahomes sat out the second quarter on Saturday as the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Divisional round.
He sustained a right ankle injury while being tackled by two Jaguars defenders towards the end of the first quarter.
The MVP favourite was listed as questionable but returned for the second half and, despite struggling to move freely, helped Kansas City win 27-20 and reach the conference title game for a fifth successive season.
Mahomes said after the game he would be "good to go" when the Chiefs face the Cincinnati Bengals.
And coach Reid told reporters on Monday the 27-year-old had done "amazing things with limited time" as he looks to ensure he can feature.
"He's worked hard in the treatment and is doing okay," Reid told reporters.
"He told you guys. He mentioned to you that he's going to play. That's his mindset. Then we'll just take it day by day and see how he does.
"As far as the reps, I'll have to see how he feels as we get ready for practice."
Reid also suggested the injury is not as serious as that Mahomes suffered at the start of the 2019 season, also against the Jaguars.
The Chiefs booked their place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale with a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.
With their third conference title in four seasons, they will face their head coach's former employers in Arizona, with Reid having led the Eagles between 1999 and 2012.
Asked whether the emotional connection to his former team makes his work more challenging, Reid insisted his focus is squarely on the task at hand.
"When you really cut to the chase, they're a really good football team," he said. "So I think that's where [my] energy goes.
"That's where the major focus goes. It doesn't matter who you're playing, you try to blank out all the hype that goes with the game. It's a pretty big game for everybody.
"It's a big, big deal. It's the Super Bowl. But you try to blank that out and make sure that you're getting the game plan, [and] what really matters, together."
Reid reached one Super Bowl during his time in charge of the Eagles, though did not get his hands on the Vince Lombardi trophy until 2020 with the Chiefs.
Still, he remains an admirer of the Pennsylvania outfit while stressing he shares the love for his current home as well.
"I love Philadelphia, love the city," he added. "I've been blessed, blessed to be in [these] phenomenal places in the NFL. I'm loving every minute in Kansas City [too]."
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid confirmed the injury a day after the reigning NFL champions topped the Buffalo Bills 38-24 in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.
Fisher – a two-time Pro Bowler after being selected first in the 2013 NFL Draft – won the Super Bowl with the Chiefs last season as Kansas City claimed their first championship in 50 years.
But the 30-year-old will not feature in back-to-back Super Bowls after being helped off the field against the Bills at Arrowhead Stadium.
Fisher played in all 15 regular-season games this campaign and both playoff matchups for the Chiefs.
Kansas City's offensive-line depth has been tested this season due to injuries and players opting out before the start of training campaign.
Ahead of the February 7 Super Bowl at Raymond Jones Stadium – the home of Tom Brady's Buccaneers – Reid told reporters on Monday: "They're talented guys.
"In some cases we've had some young guys step in and... we've had some older guys step in. That combination has been able to get us through some games here. Most of all, I think the quarterback trusts them, as do the running backs.''
Should the Chiefs retain their crown, star quarterback Patrick Mahomes would be the youngest starting QB (25) to win multiple Super Bowls, surpassing Brady (26).
Mahomes joined Kurt Warner, Brady and Russell Wilson as the only quarterbacks to reach the Super Bowl twice in their first four NFL seasons, per NFL Research. The reigning Super Bowl MVP will have to beat Brady to join him as the only QBs to win it twice in that span.
Reid secured the top seed for the sixth time as an NFL head coach, with the Chiefs beginning their postseason campaign with a divisional round game in a fortnight at Arrowhead Stadium.
There is uncertainty after that should the Chiefs progress to the AFC Championship Game which may be played at a neutral venue following the NFL's decision on the cancelled Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals game.
For now, Reid was delighted for his side to earn a break for the first time since their Week 8 bye as they aim for a second Super Bowl title in four seasons.
"I think it's a good thing," Reid told reporters about earning the top seed. "You've still got to take care of business. Our guys understand that.
"We'll give them a few days off next week and get them back in towards the end of the week and get some practice in there and start the regular week after that.
"Just take a step back and get yourself where you feel stronger and healthier, mentally and physically it's a good thing."
Reid was delighted with a strong display against the Raiders in a game where they were always in control, as Patrick Mahomes set the tone on the second play from scrimmage, a 67-yard completion to Justin Watson.
"We needed that," Reid said. "We really hadn't put it all together. I thought this was a good time - if I had to pick a time to do it, this was a good time to do it.
"We strive for it every week, but it seemed like it all kind of came together today, which is a plus."
MVP candidate Mahomes ended his regular-season with 5,614 total yards when he was removed in the final minutes, with 41 passing touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns.
"It's important," Mahomes said about earning the top seed. "Getting that bye, it's like winning a playoff game.
"Now we need to focus on watching tomorrow and this next week and seeing who we play and come up with our best football."
Reid saw his Chiefs take down former team the Eagles 42-30 on his return to the place where it all began on Sunday.
The 63-year-old spent 14 seasons with the Eagles, where he started his head coaching career in 1999 and compiled a 140-102-1 record (including playoffs) with a trip to the Super Bowl following six NFC East championships.
After leaving at the end of the 2012 season, Reid was appointed by the Chiefs in 2013 and he has since delivered a Super Bowl to Kansas City – Super Bowl LIV.
"The people here have been phenomenal since I got here," Reid said after the Chiefs moved to 2-2 for the season, having lost their previous two matches.
"My room was loaded with food so it was good to have a cheesesteak and a lot of other things. It's good to be back."
Asked if his Philadelphia return made him emotional, Reid – who was hospitalised following the Chiefs' loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last week – added: "I'm pretty good. You want me to cry up here?"
Kansas City star Patrick Mahomes threw five touchdown passes to fuel the Chiefs in Week 4 and he revelled in Reid's achievement.
"It was definitely exciting to get him that win," Mahomes said. "We were due to get him that win, it had been a couple of weeks now, but I’m glad we got to do it in Philadelphia and around where he kind of came into his own.
"And now he's in Kansas City, and it's a good thing he's here with us."
Despite suffering a high ankle sprain in last weekend's 27-20 Divisional-round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Mahomes was able to practice three times this week and declared "I'm ready to go” on Wednesday.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has confirmed that Mahomes would play in the AFC title game for the fifth year in a row on Sunday when the Chiefs host the Cincinnati Bengals.
"He looks good," Reid said on Friday. "I mean, he's moving around good. He's going to go out and play."
After Mahomes said on Wednesday that he would be fit, the quarterback began fielding questions about how much a sprained ankle might change his effectiveness or style of play.
"I feel like I can still do a lot of things," he said. "We'll see as we get closer and closer, and we'll see during the game.
"You can't fully do exactly what you're going to be doing in those moments in the game [in practice], but all I can do is prepare myself the best way possible and then when we get in the game, you hope adrenaline kind of takes over."
Mahomes returned to last Saturday’s game to help lead the Chiefs over the Jaguars, but he was clearly limping and was unable to pull off some of his signature improvisation due to his injury.
After a week of rehabilitation, neither Mahomes nor Reid are willing to say publicly if the 2018 NFL MVP will be able to run the entire playbook.
"We have enough in the game plan where you can kind of pick and choose where you want to go with it," he said. "You have a variety of things that you can go to. Obviously, you don't use all the plays in the game plan, but they're available and so if you have to go a certain direction, you can go that direction with the calls."
Meanwhile, the Bengals are not expecting Mahomes to be any less potent.
Cincinnati pass rusher Sam Hubbard said: "We're preparing for Patrick Mahomes like he's 100 per cent, because I'm sure he's going to be playing 100 per cent. That's all you can do."
COVID-19 is wreaking havoc globally, with sport brought to a standstill – the Olympic Games has been postponed until 2021, while the NBA is among the leagues on hiatus.
NFL teams are preparing for this month's draft, ahead of the start of the season in September, and Reid is still working hard, albeit from a different location.
Reid, who led the Chiefs to glory in Super Bowl LIV, told reporters on Thursday: "I wish I could take you on a virtual tour of this thing.
"It's kind of classic. I'm sitting in my basement, literally. I've got an arc trainer sitting here in case I want to jump on that to get a little exercise.
"I've got my monitor set up, along with my computer, my iPad right next to that. And I've got one of my wife's antique tables here, a little coffee table that I'm using to throw everything on. But I'm in the basement, yeah. You know what? It's not bad.''
"We stay as current as we can through information from the league. We're approaching it like we're having a season," Reid added. "I think it's twofold, because it can be a real positive energy-giver back to the country at a time of maybe need for that.
"At the same time, we're very sensitive to everything going on. But as far as the offseason goes – again, we're out of the office until they let us know that we can get ourselves back in and so I've got different plans that I've kind of set up for different stages of [the offseason], whether it's virtual work or whether they let us back in the building for field work. Whatever it is, I've put together plans for that. And then we'll just take it day by day and see what presents itself.''
The Chiefs were scheduled to start offseason conditioning on April 20 – three days before the NFL Draft – with practice to follow in May.
"We've got a little time before that,'' Reid said. "We'll just see what direction it goes. That's normally a time we use for conditioning workouts. If we're allowed to do that virtually, we can go ahead and do that at that time. We'll try to stay in touch.
"If we're allowed to visit with the players with our Webex units or whatever, we can do that. We're prepared to do all of that. And then if they're allowed back in the building, we're good with that. We've got that all planned out, too.''
The two will face off on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Arizona, with the former set to face off against the team he started his NFL coaching career with in 2009.
Sirianni worked his way through the ranks to become receivers coach with the Chiefs but exited the role in 2013 after Reid arrived as head coach, having brought assistant David Culley with him.
Though he has no issue with how his departure was handled by Reid, Sirianni still looks upon his departure as motivation to get the better of his opposite number years later.
"Do you always have this little chip on your shoulder? Sure, yeah, you do," he said. "But that's who I am as a coach and as a person.
"I want to make sure I'm working my butt off to get as good as I possibly can. You hold on to some of those things.
"Did I want to leave Kansas City? No. My future wife was from there, she had a nice teaching job, she had all her friends there, her mom and dad were a half-hour down the road.
"Of course I didn't want to leave there. But when I look at it, God's always put me in great positions and guided my paths. I know I don't say stuff like that all the time, but I know he has."
Sirianni subsequently joined the San Diego Chargers, holding a number of positions he became offensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts.
He posted a 9-8 record in his first year in charge of the Eagles in 2021, before bettering that with a 14-3 finish this season to set them on the path to Super Bowl LVII.
A thrilling contest between the Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills was settled in Kansas City's favour when Mahomes found Travis Kelce for a game-winning touchdown in overtime.
The Chiefs have now reached the AFC Championship for the fourth straight season, as they look to go on and replicate their Super Bowl success from two years ago.
Buffalo seemed to have the game tied up in regulation time when Josh Allen picked out Gabriel Davis for a record-breaking fourth touchdown with just 13 seconds left on the clock, making it 36-33 to the Bills.
Yet Mahomes got the Chiefs within field-goal range and Harrison Butker did the rest to send the roller coaster encounter into overtime.
Mahomes – who completed 33 of 44 attempts for 378 yards with three touchdowns as well as getting into the endzone himself for the Chief's first TD – then kept his composure to find Kelce in the corner four minutes and 15 seconds into overtime after Kansas City had won the coin flip.
"To be in this moment in this game against that team, to make a play to walk off a game at Arrowhead, I'll remember this game for the rest of my life.
"It was definitely special to win a game like this at Arrowhead. Obviously the Super Bowl was probably number one for me but this one is right up there.
“To be able to come back a couple of times, get points when we needed to get points, score touchdowns, get in field goal range, I'll remember it forever."
Asked what words of wisdom he offered to the Chief's talisman before overtime, head coach Andy Reid replied: "When it's grim, be the Grim Reaper and go get it.
"He did that. He made everyone around him better, which he's great at, and he just does it effortlessly. When it gets tough, he's going to be there battling."
"This is definitely another step for him into the Hall of Fame," Mahomes' team-mate Tyreek Hill added of the QB.
"He had the chance to prove once again he's at the top of when it comes to quarterbacks in this league.
"He definitely doesn't flinch, especially in moments like that."
Across 17 regular-season appearances in 2021, Mahomes threw for 37 touchdowns, tied for fourth in the NFL alongside Dak Prescott and Aaron Rodgers.
Only Matthew Stafford (4,886), Justin Herbert (5,014) and the league-leading Tom Brady (5,316) had a higher yardage than Mahomes' 4,839 in the regular season, with just Herbert and Brady completing more passes in total.
Mahomes has already accumulated eight touchdowns this postseason, doubling his tally from last year and is just two shy of his previous postseason best of 10, set in the Chief's triumphant 2019 campaign.
Kansas City will face Cincinnati in the AFC Championship game, with the Bengals having won 34-31 in the most recent meeting between the teams on January 2, a defeat that snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Chiefs.
A thrilling contest between the Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills was settled in Kansas City's favour when Mahomes found Travis Kelce for a game-winning touchdown in overtime.
The Chiefs have now reached the AFC Championship for the fourth straight season, as they look to go on and replicate their Super Bowl success from two years ago.
Buffalo seemed to have the game tied up in regulation time when Josh Allen picked out Gabriel Davis for a record-breaking fourth touchdown with just 13 seconds left on the clock, making it 36-33 to the Bills.
Yet Mahomes got the Chiefs within field-goal range and Harrison Butker did the rest to send the roller coaster encounter into overtime.
Mahomes – who completed 33 of 44 attempts for 378 yards with three touchdowns as well as getting into the endzone himself for the Chief's first TD – then kept his composure to find Kelce in the corner four minutes and 15 seconds into overtime after Kansas City had won the coin flip.
"To be in this moment in this game against that team, to make a play to walk off a game at Arrowhead, I'll remember this game for the rest of my life.
"It was definitely special to win a game like this at Arrowhead. Obviously the Super Bowl was probably number one for me but this one is right up there.
“To be able to come back a couple of times, get points when we needed to get points, score touchdowns, get in field goal range, I'll remember it forever."
Asked what words of wisdom he offered to the Chief's talisman before overtime, head coach Andy Reid replied: "When it's grim, be the Grim Reaper and go get it.
"He did that. He made everyone around him better, which he's great at, and he just does it effortlessly. When it gets tough, he's going to be there battling."
"This is definitely another step for him into the Hall of Fame," Mahomes' team-mate Tyreek Hill added of the QB.
"He had the chance to prove once again he's at the top of when it comes to quarterbacks in this league.
"He definitely doesn't flinch, especially in moments like that."
Across 17 regular-season appearances in 2021, Mahomes threw for 37 touchdowns, tied for fourth in the NFL alongside Dak Prescott and Aaron Rodgers.
Only Matthew Stafford (4,886), Justin Herbert (5,014) and the league-leading Tom Brady (5,316) had a higher yardage than Mahomes' 4,839 in the regular season, with just Herbert and Brady completing more passes in total.
Mahomes has already accumulated eight touchdowns this postseason, doubling his tally from last year and is just two shy of his previous postseason best of 10, set in the Chief's triumphant 2019 campaign.
Kansas City will face Cincinnati in the AFC Championship game, with the Bengals having won 34-31 in the most recent meeting between the teams on January 2, a defeat that snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Chiefs.
Brady struggled as the Buccaneers slipped to 7-4 with a 27-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL on Monday.
The six-time Super Bowl champion was 0-for-6 with two interceptions on deep passes against the Rams and is 0-for-19 on such passes in his past four games, missing his past 22 deep attempts. It is the longest streak for any QB since 2017, as per NFL Research.
But as the Chiefs (9-1) prepare for Sunday's clash against the Buccaneers, Reid hailed 43-year-old Brady.
"He's unbelievable. He's a great player, a Hall of Fame player. We're lucky enough to have a chance to be in this era where we can watch him," he told a news conference on Wednesday.
"And he's old, and it's hard to tell that he's old, and that's a tribute to how he takes care of himself and the care in living that he does all the way around, from diets to workouts to everything.
"He's the ultimate professional and a great player."
The loss to the Rams marked the first time since 2006 that Brady has lost consecutive home games in the regular season. Ahead of the Chiefs' visit to Raymond James Stadium, Brady has never suffered a three-game home losing streak.
But the Buccaneers are facing Patrick Mahomes, who led the Chiefs to victory in the Super Bowl last season. This season, Tampa Bay are 1-4 against quarterbacks who have started in Super Bowls and 6-0 in all other games.
Still, Reid is wary of Tampa Bay, who are second to the New Orleans Saints in the NFC South.
"You just have to prepare and study them and do the best you possibly can at covering the guys. I mean, if you're playing zone, to narrow the width and the depth of the zones as best you can, and then if you can, get pressure on Tom," he said.
"But he's playing pretty good football right now, and whatever anybody says, he’s playing pretty good football and he's making that work."
Mahomes was replaced by Chad Henne in the third quarter of the AFC Divisional Round game at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday after a big hit from Browns linebacker Mack Wilson.
Amid concerns over the 2018 NFL MVP – who joined Hall of Famer Steve Young (1993-94) as the only players in NFL history to have a passing touchdown and rushing TD in three successive playoff games – Chiefs head coach Reid was upbeat about Mahomes' health.
"He's actually doing very well. I just talked to him and he's doing good," Reid told a news conference.
"We'll see how he is tomorrow, but right now he's feeling good."
Without Mahomes, Super Bowl champions the Chiefs still managed to book a meeting with the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game.
Henne produced a 13-yard run and made a short pass to Tyreek Hill on fourth-and-one to seal the Chiefs' win.
"When you're around him [Henne], you just know. I'm glad he had an opportunity to play a week or two ago, whenever our last game was, and get in," Reid said.
"I think that helped him when he jumped in this time of just being comfortable with the speed of everything. Everybody has full confidence in him."
Reid added: "We go through all of those Saturday night with the quarterbacks and those situations, fourth-and-one to win the game, what do you want? That play happened to be there.
"My coaches were on board between Mike [Kafka] and Eric [Bieniemy] and Joe [Bleymaier] upstairs, they all did a great job, with the spot, with the calls, with everything. They were spot on so it was a great job."
The Chiefs will host the AFC Championship Game for the third consecutive season. According to NFL Research, Kansas City joined the 2002-2004 Philadelphia Eagles – also coached by Reid – as the only teams to stage three straight conference championships.
Mahomes did, however, say he did not expect to hear critical comments from Hill, who was traded to the Miami Dolphins earlier this offseason.
Hill said on the first episode of his 'It Needed To Be Said' podcast that the Chiefs and Mahomes may struggle without him and argued he should have received the ball more last season.
"I'm surprised a little just because I feel like we love Tyreek here," Mahomes said at the conclusion of the Chiefs' offseason program Thursday. "We've always loved him. We still love him.”
Reid's comments were brief but echoed a similar sentiment.
"I love Tyreek," Reid said. "He's a good kid. We think the world of him."
Hill made a career-high 111 catches in 2021 and carried the ball nine times, totalling 1335 scrimmage yards and nine touchdowns.
He also said his new quarterback, Miami's Tua Tagovailoa, is a more accurate passer than Mahomes.
"It doesn't get to me at all," said Mahomes, a former league MVP, on being compared to Tagovailoa.
"As long as we're winning football games and we're putting up points, I think I'm doing my job the right way. It doesn't have to be the best accuracy and completion percentage in the world. So long as we're scoring touchdowns and winning Super Bowls, I'll take it."
Mahomes said he has not spoken to Hill since the release of the podcast but mentioned there was no tension between them when they attended a Formula One race together in Miami last month.
"It's something where I'm sure he's trying to show he loves where he's at in Miami - he loves his teammates," Mahomes said. "But at the end of the day, it's just going out there and playing football. You kind of let other people talk about who is the best and other type of stuff. You just want to go out there and win football games."
Hill has hinted on social media that his comments were made strategically in an attempt to boost the confidence of his teammates, chiefly Tagovailoa.
Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III said on Twitter, "Tyreek knows Tua isn't Mahomes. Two different styles of play and Mahomes has certified greatness. Tua is accurate but [Hill] is just tired of people going in on his QB and I respect his support."
Hill replied: "Finally someone gets the message."
Kansas City clinched a fifth consecutive AFC West championship after defeating the Miami Dolphins 33-27 in the NFL on Sunday.
Chiefs star Mahomes was far from his best against the Dolphins, finishing 24-of-34 passing for 393 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.
Entering Week 14, Mahomes had two total interceptions this season. The Super Bowl MVP threw two interceptions in the first quarter against the Dolphins, with his last multi-interception game coming via a clash versus the Los Angeles Rams in 2018.
But he basked in the Chiefs' latest feat as they eye back-to-back Super Bowl crowns.
"I've been lucky enough to be around an organisation that's been able to win the AFC West every year I've been here, but I still appreciate every single time," the Chiefs quarterback said following the team's eighth successive win.
"These things don't come easy. You have to battle every single offseason. You have to battle every training camp. During the season, you have to go through adversity."
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid added: "They don't give these championships away. I'm proud of the guys for that.
"We all know we need to keep going. It's a nice accomplishment for the whole organisation."
The Chiefs, who overcame a double-digit deficit by scoring 30 unanswered points, are now 12-1 for the first time in franchise history and vying with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the AFC's top seeding.
Reid has transformed the Chiefs since arriving from the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013, ending Kansas City's 50-year wait for a Super Bowl trophy.
"If you looked at Andy's success in Philadelphia, certainly the back of my mind I hoped we could replicate that," Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said. "I think he's achieved that and maybe taken it to another level.
"We're blessed to have him. We're blessed to have the pairing of he and Patrick Mahomes. I think the two are a great combination. They work so well together and really maximise each other's strengths."
