The Bengals, fresh off a win over the Titans in the Divisional round, were set to face their toughest task yet. The Chiefs, in Arrowhead, in the AFC Championship. The Bengals put together a thrilling comeback in their first meeting with KC. However, that was in Cincinnati. Now, they were walking into one of the loudest stadiums out there, in a game that the Chiefs had been in before. Cincinnati knew they had to be at the top of their game to pull this one off.
Well, it was a nightmare start for the Bengals. The offence went three and out to open things up, while the defence gave up an opening drive TD. Mahomes gashed them left and right, taking the underneath routes that were given to him. Jerick McKinnon was a big part of that drive, with Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill also making appearances. It was Hill who capped off the drive, with a 10 yard catch from Mahomes.
The Bengals responded with a field goal. It was good to get points on the board, but the offence had to work for it. They dinked and dunked their way down, before Mixon finally popped for a big run. The 16 is where they stalled out. McPherson’s 32 yard field goal made it 7-3 KC. This drive was also significant for the Bengals because of an injury sustained by TE CJ Uzomah. It is said to be a knee injury, with reports suggesting an MCL sprain. He did not return.
Kansas City would score on their next two drives. A 44 yard catch by Mecole Hardman gave them a boost on the first of the two. It eventually led to a 5 yard Kelce receiving TD. The second of the two drives had Kelce go for a couple of big gains, as well as Clyde Edwards-Helaire. This one ended in a 3 yard Mecole Hardman TD. In the blink of an eye, it was 21-3 for the Chiefs.
Cincinnati’s offence would finally get going. After some shorter gains got them close to midfield, an 18 yard pass to Tee Higgins pushed them over to the other side. A couple of plays later, Joe Burrow found Samaje Perine on the screen. Perine did well to make a guy miss and then break multiple tackles, on his way to scoring a 41 yard TD. 21-10 KC.
With just over a minute left, the Chiefs looked to restore their 18 point lead. With the clock ticking down, they continued to march down the field. A pass interference call on Eli Apple set them up at the 1. However, there were only 9 seconds left, giving them two attempts at the end zone. The first pass fell incomplete. Andy Reid, contemplating whether or not to kick the field goal, decided to leave the offence out there. Mahomes found Tyreek Hill on a pass that might have been parallel to or just beyond the line of scrimmage. As he turned for the end zone, Eli Apple tackled him short. It would prove to be a huge turning point.
Each team punted to start the second half. The Chiefs punted on their second drive, as well. Cincinnati would score first, but once again, they stall out in the red zone. McPherson’s 31 yard field goal made the score 21-13 for the home team.
Momentum continued to shift in the Bengals’ favour. Just two plays into Kansas City’s next drive, Patrick Mahomes was intercepted by DT, BJ Hill. Hill batted the ball up and was able to catch it himself. This set the Bengals offence up at the Chiefs 27 yard line.
A 17 yard strike to Chase on the drive’s second play put the Bengals in a goal to go situation. After two failed attempts to get in, Burrow would find Chase on 3rd & goal for the TD. Needing two more points to tie, the offence was left on. Trent Taylor motioned from the right side to the left side of the formation, eventually stacking up above Chase. He ran a nice route that left him wide open in the flat. Burrow was able to find him. And just like that — brand new ballgame. 21-21.
After another stop by the Bengals defence, Kansas City’s made a play of their own. It was in the first play of the drive. Burrow, while facing some pressure, let go of a pass intended for Chase. However, it was picked off by Sneed. There were appeals for offside, but to no avail.
Cincy’s defence was able to come up with yet another key stop. Trey Hendrickson was able to get home for the sack on 3rd down. The Bengals would then take their first lead of the day. It was an 11 play drive that melted away over 6 minutes of clock. Unfortunately, they were unable to find the end zone, instead settling for another field goal. This one was from 52 and barely squeaked through the left side of the uprights. The Bengals led 24-21.
The Chiefs got the ball back with 6:04 left on the clock. Early in the drive, Mahomes completed a few passees to Travis Kelce, including an 18 yarder on 3rd & 1. They continued down the field, with solid pickups by Hardman and McKinnon. Then, a 2 yard completion to Kelce moved the chains a second time. The Chiefs had the ball at the Bengals 5, 1st & goal, with 1:30 left on the clock.
At this point, the question for the Bengals was whether they should let them score or go for the stop. They opted for the latter. McKinnon ran for 1 yard on 1st. On 2nd down, Mahomes was sacked by Sam Hubbard. It came down to a critical 3rd down. Mahomes had a ton of time, with the Bengals dropping extra guys in coverage. As Mahomes was looking for a target, Sam Hubbard finally ditched his assignment and came in late on Mahomes. The play ended in a strip sack, but KC recovered the ball. Harrison Butker’s 44 yard field goal sent the game to overtime.
Brandon Allen was sent out by the Bengals for the coin toss. He called heads, but it landed on tails, giving KC the important first possession.
After forcing two straight incompletions, the Bengals defence had the chance to get off the field with a stop. Mahomes took a deep shot for Tyreek Hill. Jessie Bates made a great play to get a hand on the ball, which deflected right into the hands of Vonn Bell. It was a turnover for the Bengals defence.
The Bengals started at their own 45. Outside of the QB, Higgins and Mixon were the only ones to touch the ball on this drive. Higgins made a couple of nice grabs, including one for a big 1st down. Mixon also managed to find some room on his touches. This was highlighted on his 12 yard run that set the Bengals up at the KC 13 yard line. After a couple more plays were run, the rookie, EvanMcPherson was sent out to attempt a field goal that would send the Bengals to the Super Bowl, if successful. It was from 31 yards out and he struck it perfectly, sealing a massive come from behind victory. 27-24.
In the NFC Championship, the LA Rams came from behind in the 4th quarter to defeat the San Francisco 49ers. In two weeks, the Bengals will take on the Rams in Super Bowl LVI, which is coincidentally being hosted in Los Angeles. It is Cincinnati’s third appearance in the big game.
Modified Homescreen Image Via: All-Pro Reels (CC)
