Next Sunday will be 15th straight AFC Championship Game with the Patriots or Chiefs involved

When the Chiefs missed the playoffs this season, there was a lot of talk about the chance for a changing of the guard in the AFC.

There's still more to play out in the conference, but meeting the new boss is looking a lot like the old boss in one respect. The Patriots are back in the title game after beating the Texans on Sunday and that continues a long run that's seen either New England or Kansas City involved in deciding the AFC champion.

Next Sunday's game in Denver will be the 15th straight conference title game involving either the Patriots or the Chiefs. The Patriots made it after the 2011-2018 seasons and beat the Chiefs in their final appearance. Patrick Mahomes would lead the Chiefs to a win the next year and they would make six more appearances before things went south for them this year.

Those Patriot teams were quarterbacked by Tom Brady rather than Drake Maye, but the 2024 first-round pick's rapid rise to MVP contention has raised hopes that another prolonged run of success is already underway in New England.