Kansas City Chiefs Outlast Cincinnati Bengals, Advance to Super Bowl

For the third time in four years, the Kansas City Chiefs are going to the Super Bowl. The home team outdueled the visiting Cincinnati Bengals in a tight, tense AFC Championship game, securing a 23-20 win on a game-winning 45-yard field goal in the waning seconds of regulation.

ONE CHAMPIONSHIP DOWN, ONE MORE TO GO! pic.twitter.com/TK9Ud4Sf7N
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 30, 2023

In the end, the Bengals' errors were insurmountable. Quarterback Joe Burrow threw two interceptions and absorbed five sacks. The team tallied nine penalties for 71 yards, but worst of all was linebacker Joseph Assai's lapse, who handed the Chiefs a back-breaking 15 yards on an unnecessary roughness penalty. Assai struck a scrambling Patrick Mahomes along the sidelines to set up the game-winning field goal. It wasn't vicious, but it was certainly costly. If not for the play, the Chiefs may have been forced to attempt a 60-yard field goal. Assai's error may have single-handedly cost the Bengals overtime.

As for the Chiefs, the legends of their key figures will only grow with tonight's victory. Mahomes endured through an ankle injury to net 315 passing yards, and a nightmarish second-half fumble that enabled a tying Bengals score will be lost to history. Tight end Travis Kelce battled through a back injury to log 78 receiving yards and his 15th career postseason touchdown. Head coach Andy Reid earned his fourth Super Bowl appearance, tying him for the second-most of all time among head coaches. All three have already established themselves as living icons, and all three will have plenty of chances to add to their accolades.

The Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII on February 12th.