Bills Watch as Chiefs Top Bengals in AFC Title Thriller, Advance to Super Bowl vs. Eagles
The Buffalo Bills were seemingly destined to make a run to the Super Bowl after a season full of adversity.
Instead, they were forced to watch from the couch on Sunday as the Kansas City Chiefs hosted the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship.
But what they got to watch was another thriller in an AFC that has been full of thrills all season, as the Chiefs hit a game-winning field goal in the closing seconds to beat the Bengals 23-20 to win the AFC and advance to Super Bowl LVII, where they will face the Philadelphia Eagles.
With the game tied 20-20 with under a minute left, the Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes found themselves with the ball and a chance to win, though getting into manageable field-goal range wasn't a given. But an unnecessary roughness penalty against the Bengals on Mahomes with only seconds remaining allowed Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker to kick a go-ahead 45-yard field goal to secure the win.
Mahomes finished 29 of 43 passing for 326 yards and two touchdowns while receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling came up big with six catches for 116 yards and a touchdown.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow came up just short of going to back-to-back Super Bowls. He finished 26 of 41 passing for one touchdown, but had two interceptions as well.
The Chiefs took a 13-3 lead late in the second quarter after Mahomes found tight end Travis Kelce for a 14-yard touchdown on 4th and 1. Despite tossing a pick on the ensuing possession, Burrow led a scoring drive to close the first half, as the Bengals got a field goal to make it a 13-6 game headed into halftime.
The major turning point of the game came late in the third quarter after Mahomes fumbled a snap with no resistance from the defense. The Bengals recovered and took advantage in a major way despite being in danger of going down by two scores,
Faced with an ensuing 4th and 6, Burrow unloaded a deep shot to Chase in double coverage, but the star receiver went up and made the contested catch. The Bengals scored two plays later to tie the game at 20-20.
Both defenses stepped up in the closing stages before the Bengals found themselves with possession right before the two-minute mark. But even after converting a 3rd and 16 with a chance to get a late field goal, Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones sacked Burrow on an ensuing third down to give Mahomes one more chance.
That's all the potential 2022 MVP needed to get his team into game-winning field-goal range, as the Chiefs are now headed to their third Super Bowl in the last four seasons.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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