The sequence of events in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter between the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Buffalo Bills will go down in playoff infamy. The Chiefs were thirteen seconds away from losing the chance to host their fourth consecutive AFC Championship at Arrowhead Stadium. It may be a cliché but the Chiefs showed the world that they have the heart of a champion by climbing out of the abyss to win an improbable game. However, after a night of celebration, they will quickly need to move on to preparing for a Cincinnati Bengals team that beat them in Week 17 this season. In this article, we will preview both teams, look at their head-to-head history, and make a score prediction.
1. the Bengals- last week, rookie kicker Evan McPherson delivered in the clutch for the Bengals to bring them back to the Conference finals for the first time since 1988. Let that sink in. They have defied the odds because almost no one would have predicted that this team would make it to the conference championship at the start of the season. Yet, here there are, and they have to thank their quarterback Joe Burrow for taking this team on his back. In the past six games, Joe “Cool” has 2,068 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and just one interception. In the week 17 matchup, Burrow had a tremendous performance with 446 yards and four touchdowns. The lone interception that he threw last week could have been reversed on further review. His trusted sidekick is Ja’Marr Chase, who dominated the Chiefs in the regular season for 11 catches, 266 yards, and three touchdowns. The preeminent Offensive Rookie of the Year, continued his tear last week with five catches and 109 yards against the Titans. Chase’s form bodes well because last week the Chiefs’ secondary allowed Gabriel Davis to go off for 201 yards and 4 TD. The silver lining is that the unit held Stefon Diggs to 3 catches and 7 yards. The Chiefs coaching staff will be praying that Tyrann Mathieu recovers from a concussion. Also, the Bengals line was putrid in protecting Joe Burrow by allowing nine sacks, and the Chiefs defensive line will be licking their chops to get after Joe. The Bengals are 2-4 in games that Joe Burrow is sacked five or more times this season.
2. The Chiefs- in the previous matchup, the Chiefs led the game 21-7 and 28-14 before allowing the Bengals to come back. Patrick Mahomes had a good game, completing 26-35, 259 yards, and two touchdowns. However, in the two playoff games, Mahomes has played like a man on a mission with 782 yards, eight touchdowns, and just one interception. Another key to the victory last week was that Pat rushed for 69 yards on seven carries. The Titans’ defense will be feeling confident about their chances because they forced three interceptions from Ryan Tannehill last week. The downside of the performance was that AJ Brown torched the defense with 142 yards and a touchdown. It should give a massive confidence boost to the superstar tandem of Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill. Last week they combined for 19 catches, 246 yards, and two touchdowns. The Chiefs ran the ball last week for a total of 182 yards. The Bengals contained Derrick Henry to 62 yards but allowed Deonta Foreman to rush for 66 yards on four carries.
3. Head to Head-the Bengals has a slight lead in the head-to-head matchup of both teams with a 16-14 record. From 2000, the Bengals boast a 7-3 record over the Chiefs and includes winning 4 of the past five contests. However, the last time the two teams met at Arrowhead in 2018, the Chiefs demolished the Bengals 45-10.
4. Insane Stat from the Duel last weekend: In the history of the NFL, there have only been two postseason performances where a quarterback passed for at least 325 yards, threw at least three TDs, had no interceptions, and rushed for 60 yards. The two performances are Josh Allen vs. the Chiefs on Sunday and Patrick Mahomes vs. the Bills on Sunday. Yes, it was that good.
5. Prediction-in the week 17 game earlier this season, the game was a high-scoring affair that ended 34-31. With the offensive weapons on display in this game, I expect another shootout in this matchup. It will likely come down to the quarterback who has the ball last, and Patrick Mahomes has shown he has the innate ability to make plays at the end to take his team over the line. I like the Chiefs going to their third straight Superbowl.
Final Score-Chiefs 38-Bengals 33