The Cincinnati Bengals Are Super Bowl Bound

Bengals kicker Evan McPherson (2) celebrates game winning field goal.

Who Dey? 

Super Bowl bound. 

 

The Cincinnati Bengals continue to confound the "experts" as they rolled onward to the Super Bowl after coming back from an 18-point first half deficit and beat the host Kansas City Chiefs, 27-24 in overtime to win the AFC Championship game.

 

 

Rookie kicker Evan McPherson made a 31-yard field goal to win the game after Vonn Bell intercepted Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to give Cincy the ball on their own 45-yard line. From there, the Bengals drove it down the field 42 yards to set up the game winning kick. 

The Chiefs had raced out to a 21-3 lead in the second quarter after Mahomes connected with wide receiver Mecole Hardman on a three-yard scoring pass. It was the third TD pass of the game for Mahomes, who had 275 passing yards with the three TD strikes and also two interceptions in the loss. 

The Bengals cut the deficit to 21-10 with 1:05 remaining in the first half when QB Joe Burrow (250 passing yards, two TD, one INT) connected with Sejine Perrine on a screen pass that went for a 41-yard touchdown. Kansas City drove right back down the field and had first-and-goal from the Bengals one-yard line after a pass interference penalty in the end zone. With five seconds left and no timeouts remaining for Kansas City, the Bengals stopped WR Tyreek Hill on a short pass at the one yard line and time expired as the Chiefs eschewed the field goal try. 

The second half saw the Bengals defense get an interception (by defensive lineman B.J. Hill) and four sacks and a second TD pass by Burrow (this one a two-yard strike to WR Ja'Marr Chase on third down) and a two-point conversion along with a 31-yard field goal by McPherson to tie the game at 21-21 late in the third quarter. McPherson later drilled a 52-yard FG to make it 24-21 with 6:04 left to play in the fourth quarter. Kansas City was able get the ball down to the Bengals four-yard line late in regulation, but Mahomes was sacked again and then Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker made a 44-yard field goal to force the overtime. 

But after all was said and done, it will be the Cincinnati Bengals headed to Super Bowl LVI in two weeks.