KANSAS CITY — The dream is over.
Harrison Butker connected on a 45-yard field goal with three seconds left to lift the Kansas City Chiefs over the Bengals, 23-20, in the AFC Championship Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs advance to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona.
Joe Burrow was under duress throughout the game. But he managed a pair of great pinpoint passes under pressure, one a touchdown to Tee Higgins and another on fourth-and-6 to Ja’Marr Chase that led to another game-tying touchdown.
His throw to Hayden Hurst on third-and-16 for 23 yards kept the drive alive. But Chris Jones beat right tackle Hakeem Adeniji for the sack of Burrow to force the punt. Skyy Moore’s 29-yard return of a Drue Chrisman 54-yard punt put the Chiefs at their 45.
The Bengals were outgained in net yards, 109-0, in the first quarter, primarily due to three first quarter sacks of Burrow that ate up 21 yards.
The key penalty of the first quarter against the Bengals was a false start from Hakeem Adeniji on the first drive after Burrow had scrambled for a first down. Burrow was subsequently sacked and had to punt.
After two punts to start the game, the Bengals finally found some rhythm in the second quarter when Burrow started marching the team down the field.
The Chiefs drove the ball down the field on each of their first two drives, with Patrick Mahomes moving around comfortably on his injured right ankle with little or no pressure.
On Kansas City’s third drive, the Chiefs drove to the Bengals 14 where they faced fourth-and-1. Mahomes rolled out to his right and found Travis Kelce in the end zone for a touchdown, with Jessie Bates in coverage. The score made it 13-3 Chiefs. Mahomes was 13-of-16 for 165 yards on the first three drives, with a touchdown.
The key on the drive were a pair of catches from Marquez Valdes-Scantling. His spinning grab of a 29-yard grab set the Chiefs up at the Bengals 23.
Burrow forced a pass under pressure for Tee Higgins and the pass was intercepted by rookie Jaylen Watson at the Kansas City 49. The ball was returned to the Bengals 39 with 2:22 left in the first half.
But the Bengals caught a big break with three incomplete passes from Mahomes that used just 12 seconds and the Bengals got the ball back at their 5 with the chance to drive once more before the half. With Tyler Boyd nursing a left thigh injury suffered on the first drive of the second quarter, Burrow drove the team 90 yards in 12 plays over the final 2:04, settling for a 23-yard Evan McPherson field goal at the gun. The Bengals trailed 13-6 at the break.
Like the Bengals did last year in the AFC Championship, they forced Mahomes and the Chiefs to punt on their first drive of the second half.
The Bengals answered quickly, with Joe Burrow running up the middle on a keeper for 11 yards on third down to keep the drive alive. On another third down, third-and-5 from the Kansas City 27, Burrow lofted a perfect pass to the right corner that Tee Higgins high pointed and caught in between Watson and Juan Thornhill for a touchdown. Higgins gave the ball to his mom in the end zone as the score tied the game, 13-13.
TEE IT UP!#CINatKC | ? CBS pic.twitter.com/ixJPcWZ1Xf
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 30, 2023
Mahomes came right back with a 77-yard drive in 11 plays that was capped off by a dart of a throw by Mahomes to Valdes-Scantling for 19 yards and the go-ahead touchdown.
The Bengals appeared on the ropes late in the third quarter when they had to punt and the Chiefs had the ball and were crossing midfield after another long completion to Valdes-Scantling. But on the play, Chiefs offensive lineman Andrew Whylie was called for taunting, pushing them back 15 yards. On the next snap, Mahomes had the ball slip out of his hands and Sam Hubbard recovered at the Chiefs 39.
As the fourth quarter began, the Bengals were driving but stalled at the Chiefs 41, where they faced fourth-and-6. Joe Burrow threw to a double-covered Ja’Marr Chase. Chase turned around and caught the ball over Bryan Cook and Watson.
That connection ?#CINatKC | ? CBS pic.twitter.com/AgvRbylOXe
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 30, 2023
Two plays later, Samaje Perine went in from two yards to tie the game, 20-20.
The Bengals got the ball back but a deep pass for Higgins was tipped by Cook and picked by Joshua Williams. The Chiefs drove past midfield, partly aided by a controversial pass interference call against Mike Hilton. But the defense held and forced a punt, giving Burrow and the Bengals one final chance in regulation at their 7 yard line with 2:30 remaining in regulation.
