KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
Evan McPherson kicked a 31-yard subject objective with 9:22 left in additional time after Joe Burrow stored his cool whereas main a livid second-half comeback to get the Cincinnati Bengals to the Tremendous Bowl for the primary time in 33 years with a 27-24 victory over the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs within the AFC championship sport Sunday.
The Bengals erased an 18-point deficit — tying an AFC title sport document — to take a late 24-21 lead on McPherson’s 52-yarder. However Harrison Butker’s 44-yard kick as time expired in regulation despatched it to additional time per week after his 49-yarder on the ultimate play of regulation did the identical towards Buffalo.
One week after Buffalo’s Josh Allen referred to as tails and it got here up heads for the additional time coin toss — giving Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs the ball — Cincinnati backup quarterback Brandon Allen referred to as heads and the coin got here up tails. The Chiefs opened additional time once more with the ball, however Vonn Bell intercepted Mahomes on the third play, and Burrow and the Bengals took over.
And now they’re heading to the Tremendous Bowl for the primary time since 1989 after profitable their first playoff additional time sport.
“Often once you lose the coin flip to these guys you’re going residence,“ Burrow stated. “Our protection actually stepped up and made performs within the second half. And on offense we made performs once we needed to. I believed the offensive line performed rather well all day. We began working the ball there on the finish and that’s thrilling.
“Massive win for us.”
The Bengals (13-7) will play the winner of the NFC championship between San Francisco and the Los Angeles Rams within the Tremendous Bowl in Los Angeles on Feb. 13. Cincinnati misplaced to the 49ers in each of its earlier journeys to the Tremendous Bowl.
Mahomes and the Chiefs (14-6) can be left to lament blowing an opportunity at a 3rd straight Tremendous Bowl look.
The Chiefs received a landing on their first three possessions, with Mahomes discovering Mecole Hardman for a 3-yard rating that made it 21-3 — and had this one trying very very like a rout. Mahomes joined Tom Brady (2014), Joe Flacco (2012) and Aaron Rodgers (2010) as the one gamers with three video games with three or extra TD passes in a single postseason.
However Burrow stored the Bengals in it.
He tossed a brief cross to Samaje Perine, who averted a deal with try by Charvarius Ward and raced into the tip zone for a 41-yard landing with 1:05 left within the opening half.
The Chiefs appeared headed for his or her fourth straight landing drive to open the sport, particularly after Byron Pringle’s 10-yard catch put Kansas Metropolis on the 15 with 13 seconds left — setting off chants from the fired-up Arrowhead Stadium crowd of “13 seconds!” who have been nonetheless reveling within the Chiefs’ gorgeous comeback final week towards Buffalo.
A cross interference name on Eli Apple in the long run zone put the ball on the 1, however the Chiefs couldn’t get into the tip zone on two tries, with Mahomes’ cross to Tyreek Hill shedding a yard and ending the half. It ended up costing them.
McPherson’s 31-yarder lower the Bengals’ deficit to 21-13 with 2:58 left within the third quarter.
Cincinnati received the ball again on the Chiefs 27 moments later when B.J. Hill intercepted Mahomes’ quick cross supposed for Demarcus Robinson. Two performs after Joe Mixon gained 2 yards on first-and-goal from the 5, Ja’Marr Chase went up over Rashad Fenton in the long run zone to catch Burrow’s toss for a landing. Burrow then discovered a wide-open Trent Taylor for the 2-point conversion to tie it at 21 with 14 seconds left within the third quarter.
The 18-point comeback by Cincinnati tied Indianapolis (vs. New England in 2006) for the most important in AFC championship historical past.
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