Allen-inspired Bills beat Steelers to set up Chiefs meeting

The Buffalo Bills beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17 on Monday to set up a mouth-watering game with the Kansas City Chiefs next week.

After charging into a 21-0 lead, the Bills stayed clear to reach the divisional round for a fourth straight season.

Two years ago the Bills lost at that stage after an epic shootout between star quarterbacks Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, which the Chiefs won 42-36 in overtime.

Now the Chiefs will head to Buffalo next Sunday aiming to keep alive their hopes of a third NFL title in five years having won last season's Super Bowl.

Monday's game was moved from Sunday of wildcard weekend after a state of emergency was declared in the Buffalo region, with strong winds and heavy snow forecast.

The Bills even appealed for fans to help shovel snow from Highmark Stadium, giving them $20 (£15.70) an hour plus hot drinks and breakfast, after several feet fell in upstate New York.

The temperature was -7C - nothing compared to the -20C for the Chiefs' home win on Saturday - and the Bills caught the Steelers cold with three early touchdowns.

Allen produced scoring strikes to tight ends Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid in the first quarter, before running it in from 52 yards in the second - the longest run of his career.

Pittsburgh rallied with a Diontae Johnson touchdown shortly before half-time, before the two teams exchanged field goals in the third quarter.

And, although Calvin Austin's touchdown cut the score to 24-17 in the fourth quarter, Buffalo hit straight back as Khalil Shakir did well after the catch to get into the end zone.

That made it three touchdown passes for Allen and secured the Bills' sixth straight win since the start of December.