Joe Burrow proved his dominance, and Evan McPherson drilled a winning field goal in overtime to send the Cincinnati Bengals to Los Angeles for Super Bowl LVI.
Another nail bitter, overcoming a coin toss, erasing a 21-3 deficit, and in the end, a trip to the Super Bowl for the Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. For the first time since 1988, the Jungle is jumping, jumping to Los Angeles to face either the San Francisco 49ers or the Los Angeles Rams.
Rookie Evan McPherson’s game-winning kick in overtime propels Cincinnati to one of the biggest upsets of the season against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who were heavily favored to make their third straight Super Bowl trip after playing in their fourth consecutive home conference championship.
At one point, it seemed like this dream for the Who Dey nation would never be realized after going down early and trailing at the half, that is until they figured out that having No.9 as their quarterback. Speaking of Burrow, he is the second quarterback to go into Arrowhead Stadium and beat Patrick Mahomes in a playoff game. The other? That would be Tom Brady.
Because of Burrow’s heroics, the Lamar Hunt Trophy will not be staying in Kansas City for the third straight year. Instead, it goes to a franchise that will look to earn their first-ever Super Bowl title. All of this after losing the coin toss in overtime, and worrying that it could end just like it did for the Buffalo Bills against the Chiefs on the same field a week ago.
Burrow finished the game 23/38 for 250 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who dominated the Chiefs in their Week 17 matchup with over 260 yards, was held mostly in check until the end, finishing with six catches for 53 yards. Tee Higgins led the way with six catches for 103 yards. Running back, Joe Mixon recorded 88 yards on 21 carries.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes finished 26/39 for 275 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions, including the devastating one in overtime that wound up losing the game. Travis Kelce finished with ten catches for 95 yards and a touchdown, while Tyreek Hill finished with seven catches for 78 yards and a score.
The Cincinnati Bengals used the underdog role to their advantage and are on their way to the biggest stage in sports.
Just imagine if Cincinnati has to face San Francisco for that honor? Beat the team that gave them so much heartbreak? Or how about facing off against the star-studded Los Angeles Rams on their field? The headlines are enormous. It’s fair to assume Cincinnati will be the underdog yet again for the big game, but they seemed to have enjoyed that role and embraced it fully.
They overcame a significant deficit, they overcame crucial mistakes, and their offensive line, a heavily criticized unit, held up quite well. You can expect for the next two weeks to hear about how their opponent’s defensive line will wreck the game and so on. But this group seems different.
They won two games just two seasons ago, and now they are one win away from the biggest victory in the city’s history. Who dey say gonna beat them Bengals? Well, at least in the AFC, nobody. Congratulations to the Cincinnati Bengals, off to Super Bowl LVI as the champions of the American Football Conference.