INTERNATIONAL: For the first time since 1989, the Cincinnati Bengals are headed to the Super Bowl and the Kansas City Chiefs are headed home after playing in the Super Bowl the previous two seasons.
Rookie kicker Evan McPherson has made a 31-yard field goal in overtime Sunday ,January 30, capping an 18-point rally by the Bengals en route to a 27-24 upset of the host Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
Cincinnati, which had the worst record in the NFL two seasons ago, overcame a 21-3 first-half deficit against Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City, holding the high-powered Chiefs to three points after halftime
Joe Burrow threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns, and McPherson went 4-for-4 on field goals for the fourth-seeded Bengals, who will face either the Los Angeles Rams or San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl in Inglewood, California on February 13.
Mahomes passed for 275 yards and three touchdowns, with two interceptions, for Kansas City. The second-seeded Chiefs, who got the ball first in overtime last weekend and drove for the winning touchdown against Buffalo in the divisional playoffs, again won the overtime coin toss Sunday.
However, Mahomes was intercepted on the third play on a deep ball that was broken up by Jessie Bates III and intercepted by Vonn Bell. Burrow and Joe Mixon helped move the ball deep into Kansas City territory, and McPherson made his kick with 9:22 left to stun the home crowd..
With the game tied 21-21, McPherson snuck a 52-yard field goal inside the left upright with 6:04 to play in the fourth quarter, giving the Bengals their first lead of the game.
That, of course, left more than enough time for Mahomes, who drove the Chiefs inside the Cincinnati 10 with a chance to tie or win.
On the next-to-last play of regulation, Mahomes attempted to buy time deep in the pocket before he was stripped of the ball by Cincinnati's Sam Hubbard. Kansas City recovered, but it forced Harrison Butker to attempt a 44-yard field goal, which he drilled as times expired to force overtime.
Mahomes threw first-half TD passes to Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce and Mecole Hardman, helping the hosts build a 21-3 cushion.
