AFC Championship: What happened in the last game between the Bengals and Chiefs?

We have a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship game as the Kansas City Chiefs will host the Cincinnati Bengals for the second straight season. This is becoming one of the newest, most important rivalries not just in the conference but in the NFL and two of the leagues top quarterbacks will air it out for a spot in the Super Bowl.

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AFC Championship: Round 2

Last year’s conference title game needed overtime to decide a winner as Joe Burrow and the Bengals announced there was a new powerhouse in the AFC. After Cincy’s quarterback suffered a serious knee injury in his rookie season, he bounced back even stronger in his sophomore campaign and led his explosive offense to a Super Bowl run.

Patrick Mahomes led touchdown drives on the first three possessions of the Chiefs night, as Kansas City jumped out to a 21-3 first half lead and it looked like the they were on to a third straight Super Bowl.

After a late second quarter TD to cut into the lead, and the Cincy defense turned up in the second half, allowing just three points in the final 30 minutes. A field goal pulled the Bengals with in eight points, and Burrow found Ja’maar Chase on a short TD completion to end the third quarter. A successful two point conversion catch by Trent Taylor ted the game up setting up what would be a heart pounding final quarter.

Bengals D stepped up late

The Chiefs went three and out on their next two possessions, and there was a Burrow interception sandwiched in-between the two quick possessions from KC. The Bengals would march down the field on a drive that ran almost half of the fourth quarter off the clock and Evan McPherson drilled a 52 yard field goal to take the 24-21 lead.

With 6:04 on the clock Mahomes had a chance at another dramatic comeback win, and drove the Chiefs all the way inside the CIN 5 yard line, but Sam Hubbard came up with a game saving sack on 3rd and Goal. KC settled for the field goal to send the game into overtime.

Kansas City won the toss and got the ball to start the OT session, but Mahomes was picked off by Vonn Bell, to set up a game winning 31 yard field goal from Evan McPherson to secure the 27-24 win sending the Bengals to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1988.

Bengals @ Chiefs, Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET

Mahomes had more TDs (3) and yards (275) than Burrow (2 TDs and 250 yards) but the KC QB was picked twice and sacked four times.

Kansas City and Cincy had a regular season rematch in Week 15, and the Bengals won 27-24 for a second straight time. Once again it was Burrow leading a comeback as the defense shut down KC in the final quarter. Burrow went 25/31 with 286 yards and to TDs, while Mahomes was 16/27 for 223 and a TD.

The stage is set for the AFC Championship on Sunday night, as the Mahomes and the Chiefs look to erase recent history, and get back to the Super Bowl but Joe Burrow and the Bengals will have something to say about that in Arrowhead this weekend.