Samaje Perine clutch in sending Chiefs back to Super Bowl

Samaje Perine waited until it mattered most to make a play in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs edged past the Buffalo Bills 32-29 to go back to the Super Bowl to defend their title as back-to-back world champions. Which team was moving on to the Super Bowl wasn't for sure until the final seconds when Perine got the ball in his hands.

With the Chiefs nursing a three-point lead and trying to run out the clock, they needed to convert a 3rd-and-9 at the Bills' 35-yard line. A first down would put the Chiefs in victory formation, while coming up short would give Andy Reid a decision to make on fourth down.

Perine lined up at running back and ran to the flats, where he was wide open for Patrick Mahomes. Perine caught the pass and easily got beyond the first-down marker.

The next two plays were Mahomes taking a knee in victory formation before celebration ensued in Kansas City as the Chiefs are going to the Super Bowl for the third year in a row.

That was the only time all game Perine touched the ball. He's third in the Chiefs' running back rotation behind Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, but he's still used often for passing down situations like he was on that clutch play Sunday.

Perine left Oklahoma in 2016 as the Sooners' all-time leading rusher with 4,122 career rushing yards. He surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in all three of his college season. Perine was then drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft and has been in the league ever since.

In addition to Perine, the Chiefs have more former OU players on their active roster than any other NFL team. Other Super Bowl bound Sooners include Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, Creed Humphrey, McKade Mettauer, Wanya Morris and James Winchester.

The Chiefs will play the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, Feb. 9, in New Orleans.