Patrick Mahomes’ top targets — Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce — beleaguer Bills and put Chiefs in Super Bowl 55

Micah Hyde, a starting safety for the Buffalo Bills, looked dazed.

The Kansas City Chiefs had just defeated the Bills, 38-24, on Sunday and, from Hyde’s perspective, in head-spinning fashion.

“They got a lot of weapons all over the field,’’ he said. “They got guys on the outside, with 87 and 10, that can kill you. You saw tonight, 87 was open, 10 was just catching these short little balls and going off.’’

Forgive Hyde if he failed to get the names on the back of the jerseys, because No. 10 (Tyreek Hill) and No. 87 (tight end Travis Kelce) were a step ahead of the Bills all night.

The pair combined for 22 catches, 290 yards and two touchdowns; Kelce had 13 catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns, and Hill had nine catches for 172 yards.

Travis Kelce has set the record for most receptions (13) in a Conference Championship game in the Super Bowl era

Kelce surpasses Michael Irvin (1994 vs SF)

“Those guys just know how to get themselves open,’’ Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “They’re obviously super talented, but they understand our offense to a crazy degree.’’

The Chiefs sturdy tight end and speedy receiver tortured the Bills’ defense. But one man’s masterpiece is, well …

“When I watch film, I’m my worst critic, man,’’ Kelce said. “I tell myself I’m a scrub all the time when I see myself doing something not the right way or getting locked up.’’

Kelce will have to be masochistic to find flaws with his performance Sunday night.

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Travis Kelce celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the third quarter of the AFC championship game. (Photo: Denny Medley, USA TODAY Sports)

Kelce took an underhanded pass from Mahomes for a 1-yard score and a 5-yard touchdown catch midway through the fourth quarter, demonstrating how they use Kelce and Hill in tandem.

Bills linebacker Tremaine Edmunds said, “It’s kind of like freestyle ball they was playing out there. They had a good game plan, just finding ways to get them open.’’

But as Kelce explained of the 5-yard touchdown, "You get a lot of people mixed up in play action and the wash of what’s really going on in the backfield.’’

Here’s what was going on: Hill ran a route to the back of the end zone. Kelce runs a route to the front of the end zone.

“Sure enough everybody forgot about me, so I was just wide open,’’ Kelce said.

Some reporters offered unsolicited suggestions. Such as maybe the Bills’ defensive backs should have tried to chuck Hill before he came off the line of scrimmage. Hyde, the Bills safety, explained the danger.

“He’s fast, that boy is,’’ Hyde said. “You try to jam (Hill) at the line and you miss, that’s a wrap.’’

Hill earned his nickname, Cheetah, for a reason. On Sunday, he hit a maximum speed of 20.76 mph when he turned a short pass into a 71-yard gain.

Mahomes made it seem rather simple. Eric Bieniemy, the Chiefs' offensive coordinator, and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid designed the right plays.

“And they were able to get open on zone or man coverage and I just got them the ball,’’ Mahomes said.

Or as Kelce put it, “We just had the quarterback back there that could make all the right plays and all the right throws and sure enough today he was just flawless. And it led us to victory.’’

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