The Kansas City Chiefs head to their third Super Bowl in four years after beating the Cincinnati Bengals for the AFC Championship on Sunday night. Harrison Butker hit a 45-yard field goal to clinch a 23-20 win out of Arrowhead Stadium.
Mahomes recovers from ankle injury
All the talk brought into the championship round was related to the condition of Patrick Mahomes’ high ankle sprain suffered last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. From the first series, the Kansas City quarterback seemed agile, but he may not be as agile as we’re used to seeing him week after week. KC’s QB had some nasty moments during the game, but when it counted, most Mahomes handled business on his feet.
It was supposed to be a matchup between two high-flying teams that have become pretty close to each other over the years. The Bengals have had Chiefs numbers in recent history, but not in his AFC title game at Arrowhead.
The high-octane shootout we all expected got off to a slow start as the KC defense put pressure on Cynthie QB Joe Burrow after the first possession. They had four sacks in the first half and It made it hard for the Bengals Gunslinger to feel comfortable in his pocket.
Slow start for high power offense
Despite the dominant defense, Mahomes and the offense struggled to hit the ball in the end zone, scoring two field goals in the first two possessions. Cincinnati added a field goal to the scoreboard and it wasn’t until the end of the first half that the Chiefs found the end zone for the first time. On 4th and 1st, the Chiefs decided to let Mahomes play on the rollout, and he hit Travis Kels for a 14-yard TD to take a 13–3 lead with under four minutes into the second quarter.
A late Evan McPherson field goal to close halftime cut the lead to a touchdown, and the Bengals offense finally came out of halftime. Burrow drove the Bengals onto the field and slammed Tee Higgins for a 27-yard touchdown to tie the game at 13-13.
Kansas City didn’t take long to respond.When Mahomes led an 11-play, 77-yard drive and scored a touchdown on a 19-yard dart by Marquez Valdez Scantling, they were out of the game. hit back the next possession. After forcing a three-and-out on Cinsey, the Chiefs again went down the field, but Mahomes made a rare mistake when the ball slipped out of his hands on a pass to the flat, and the fumble was recovered by Sam Hubbard.
Six plays later, the Bengals tied the game early in the fourth quarter with a Samaje Perrine TD run from two yards out.
game winner and butler
A punt from the Chiefs and Burroughs Knight’s second interception were the stage for Mahomes to steal the show late in the fourth quarter. With 30 seconds left on the clock, KC took over from the 47-yard line after an excellent punt his return from Skymoor. Joseph Ossai helped the Kansas City cause. Mahomes scrambled for 3s and 4s around midfield, picked up the first down, and then got hit by a Bengals defender.The penalty moved the Chiefs to field goal position and Butker drilled the game winner from 45 yards with 3 seconds on the clock.
Mahomes didn’t look perfect, but even on a night when he couldn’t rely on his in-pocket mobility, he went for 326 yards and 29/43 passing for 3 TDs, while Burrow went 26/41 for 270 yards and 3 touchdowns. Scored 1 TD. And he threw two interceptions.
The Chiefs are back for their third Super Bowl in four years. The desert showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles from Glendale, Arizona is two weeks away.
