Who Dey! Yes, it is the chant and unofficial rallying cry for the Cincinnati Bengals. In the aftermath of Sunday’s win, fans have been wondering who are these Cincinnati Bengals? Where did they come from? Before this year, the franchise didn’t make the Superbowl in 33 years. They had not won a playoff game in 31 years. This year should not have been the Bengals’ year with a core of young and naive players. Yet, here they are. Thanks to an improbable comeback against the Chiefs, the Cincinnati Bengals are headed to Superbowl 56. In this article, we will discuss the top 5 reasons why the Bengals were able to shock the Chiefs and the world to advance to the Superbowl.
5. The play before halftime shifted momentum in the game- the NFL season has been a referendum on how to manage time with under a minute and the balance between being aggressive and playing it safe. The Cowboys and Chargers coaching staffs were vilified for being poor with time management or too aggressive. In this game, with five seconds left in the second half, the Chiefs had the option to take a field goal and a 14-point lead into the locker room. Instead, the Chiefs kept their offense on the field with Mahomes throwing a swing pass to Tyreke Hill. However, Eli Apple made a tremendous tackle at the goal line to stop Hill from scoring the touchdown. It was a huge play because it made the Chiefs lose momentum, and it gave the Bengals a morale boost knowing they had overcome an 11-point lead against the same opposition about a month before.
4. Joe Mixon proved he was the top running back on the field- Mixon entered the league in 2017 and was drafted 48th overall in the second round. Many teams bypassed picking him in the draft because of legal troubles but he always had first-round talent. However, on Sunday Mixon showcased his talent to the world by rushing for 105 all-purpose yards on 24 touches. It included 88 rushing yards which are the most by any player in the game. His play stood out late in the fourth and overtime as he gashed the Chiefs defense to set up the winning field goal.
3. Stout Offensive Line-all week rival fans and NFL analysts made fun of the Cincinnati Bengals offensive line. Despite escaping Tennessee with a win, the offensive line was shellacked by the Titans’ defensive front yielding nine sacks on Joe Burrow. Heading into the AFC Championship Game, the biggest story was whether this offensive line could protect their prized quarterback. Not only did they play well in allowing just one sack, but they also did a better job than the Chiefs offensive line which allowed Mahomes to be sacked four times leading to the comeback.
2. The Bengals’ defense stepped up in the second half-the comeback would not have been possible without the much-maligned defense playing their role. The Bengals seemed to change their strategy in the second half by rushing 3, having a spy in the middle of the field, and locking down the receivers in man to man. The Chiefs never seem to adjust the Bengals’ strategy compared to the zone coverage they played in the first half. There was an impressive interception by lineman B.J. Hill who jumped in the air, tipped the ball to himself, and grabbed the pick. Also, there was an impressive hustle tackle from Trey Hendrickson who tracked down Mahomes on a scramble to prevent a big run. Finally, the defense capped the performance with the big interception in overtime on a ball to Tyreke Hill into double coverage. It was deflected by Jessie Bates and then caught by his teammate Vonn Bell. Yes, the defense made plays and key stops to hold this vaunted defense to 3 points after a rough first half
1. Burrow/Chase/Higgins outplayed Mahomes/Hill/Kelce-the game was going to be decided by which trio would be better in this game. Hill and Kelce combined for 17 catches, 173 yards in the game but most of their yardage came in the first half. Mahomes completed 18 of 21 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. In the second half, Patrick completed only 8 of 18 passes for 55 yards and two interceptions. According to ESPN in the second half, Mahomes’ QBR went from 98.0 to 1.4. It represents the largest gap in a playoff performance since they began tracking the stat in 2006. On the other hand, Joe Burrow got better as the game continued. He finished completing 23 of 38 for 250 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Burrow was cool under pressure and extended drives with his legs. Joe’s supporting cast stepped up with Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase combining for 12 catches and 157 yards.
In the end, the Chiefs played their worst half of the season. However, give the Bengals credit for engineering a tremendous comeback, and now they head to Sofi Stadium as AFC Champions.
