Who would’ve thought the last play of the first half in the AFC Championship would’ve set the tone for the events that transpired after the Chiefs and Bengals returned to the field after halftime?
A controversial decision that many spectators felt should’ve been an easy chip shot for kicker Harrison Butker was instead a short pass to Tyreek Hill that ended at the two-yard line for no gain. That was the play that gave the Bengals all the momentum they needed to do the impossible; shutout Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense for an entire half.
On Sunday afternoon, Mahomes finished by connecting on 26 of 39 passes for 275 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. Tight end Travis Kelce ends the night with ten catches for 95 yards and a score, and Tyreek Hill caught seven balls for 78 yards and a TD.
Meanwhile, Bengals passer Joe Burrow becomes the youngest QB to advance to the Super Bowl after completing 23 of 38 for 250 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick. In Week 17, it was wide receiver Jamar Chase that had a big day, catching 11 passes for 266 yards. This time, Tee Higgins gouged Kansas City’s defense with six catches for 103 yards. Chase also had a decent game, finishing with six receptions for 54 yards and a score.
Kansas City opened the game with three consecutive scoring drives in the first half to lead the game before going into the locker room.
On the opening drive, a 10-yard catch by Tyreek Hill in the top-right corner of the end zone got the Chiefs on the board first, and Cincinnati answered with a 32-field goal after 15 plays.
Nine plays after that, Mahomes finishes a 75-yard drive in desperation, weaving around in the backfield before finding Travis Kelce for a five-yard score on third-and-short from the Cincy five-yard line.
At the top of the second quarter, the Bengals were forced off the field after seven plays of offense that only traveled 16 yards. Punter Kevin Huber booted the ball out of bounds to Kansas City’s 28-yard line for a 31-yard punt.
On the fourth play for Kansas City’s third turn with the football, Mahomes converted a second-and-short from Chief 43, with a 19-yard connection to Kelce to put the Chiefs past midfield onto the Bengal’s side at the 38.
Kansas City gets closer with a 14-yard run up the middle by running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the next play. Three plays later, Mahomes hits Kelce again for a 12-yard gain inside the five-yard line, and Hardman punches it in for the three-yard score on the next play.
Down 21-3, Cincinnati knows they have to answer and does as Burrow leads the Bengals offense 70 yards in nine plays to cut the deficit to 21-10 with just 1:15 left in the half.
Time winding down, Kansas City manages to cruise up the field with 33-yard and 14-yard passes to Tyreek Hill, followed by a 10-yard connection to Byron Pringle puts the Chiefs on the Bengal 15-yard line. But a pass interference foul on Cincinnati cornerback Eli Apple on the next play moves the Chiefs upfield 14 yards to the 1.
From there, Mahomes follows up an incomplete pass by throwing short to Tyreek Hill on a wide receiver screen, but the plat gets blown up by Eli Apple for no gain as time expires in the first half.
The Chiefs failed to reach the end zone for the entire second half, credit to the Bengals defense. Instead, they are forced to punt on their next two drives. Meanwhile, Cincinnati ties the game on their second possession from the KC 24, thanks to a 31-yard field goal by Evan McPherson after 12 plays.
More disaster strikes the Chiefs at the 2:23 mark in the third on second-and-short, following a seven-yard gain by Jerick McKinnon. Mahomes dropped back, intending to throw short for Demarcus Robinson. Instead, the pass is batted at the line and picked by defensive tackle B.J. Hill to force another Kansas City turnover.
Six plays later, Burrow is putting the Bengals ahead with a two-yard toss to Ja’Marr Chase.
A L’Jarius Sneed interception turned four plays, and out by the Chiefs offense gave Cincinnati the ball for their second drive in the fourth quarter. The Bengals’ corresponding drive lasted 15 plays and took over six minutes off the game clock, but the result was McPherson nailing a 52-yard field goal.
Luckily, Kansas City responded by reaching the Bengal’s one-yard line in eleven plays. Unfortunately, Mahomes was sacked twice for a combined loss of 22-yards, forcing Butker to kick a 44-yard field goal to send the AFC Championship into overtime.
In OT, Kansas City won the toss only to give the ball away three plays later on an interception by corner Vonn Bell, a pass intended for Tyreek Hill. The turnover translated to Burrow guiding the offense to the Chiefs 13, where Evan McPherson was set up to drive home the game-winning field goal to defeat Kansas City 27-24.
About Author
