Bengals and Joe Are Super Bowl Bound

 

 

By Andrew Rosario

 

 

The Cincinnati Bengals and quarterback Joe Burow’s magical ride to Super LVI (56) was completed last Sunday when they went on the road and stunned the Kansas City Chiefs 27-24 in overtime. Cincinnati entered the “tournament” as the #4 seed after winning their division with a 10-7 record. Last year, they only won 4 games as Burrow’s season was cut short with a knee injury that required surgery. The organization had not won a playoff game in 31 years and had not been to the Super Bowl in 30 years as they lost to the San Fransisco 49ers.      

 

The Bengals improbable run began when they took out the Las Vegas Raiders 26-19 as Burrow threw for 244 yards and 2 touchdowns. The following week in the divisional playoff, they went on the road to face the #1 seed Tennessee Titans. Burrow threw for 348 yards, 1 td and watched rookie field goal kicker Evan McPherson convert 3 field goals in the 19-16 win. That was supposed to be the end of their playoff run as they had to go to Kansas City to face the Chiefs and Super Bowl winning quarterback Patrick Mahomes. KC was coming off their thrilling OT win (a game for the ages) against the Buffalo Bills.

 

 

 

 

The ride looked like it would come to an end after Mahomes connects with wide receiver Mecole Hardman for the 3-yard touchdown pass putting them up 21-3. Burrow responds with a touchdown pass of his own as he finds running back Samaje Perine for the 41-yard touchdown reception closing the gap to 21-10 right before halftime. The second half was all Cincinnati.

 

The Bengals scored the first two times they had the ball in the third quarter. McPherson gets them within 8 (21-13) after a 52-yard field goal. Burrow then finds his college teammate wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase for a 2-yard touchdown pass. The game is tied at 21 after Burrow’s 2-point conversion is successful. 

 

Meanwhile, the defense smothered Mahomes the entire second half. After giving up 21-points and 292 yards in the first half, the Bengals gave up only 3-points and 83 total yards in the second half. Mahomes was sacked 2 times, throwing 2 interceptions. Said safety Vonn Bell of the second half adjustment, “we had to change our look, change our disguises,” he began. “Just playing our brand of football, just calming down. Playing with great eyes and great technique.” The teams traded field goals in the fourth quarter sending the game into overtime. 

 

Mahomes and KC won the coin toss and looked to duplicate what they did against the Bills the week before as a touchdown would send the Bengals home. From their own 25, Mahomes looks for wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The ball hits off Hills hands and Bell comes up with the interception. 9-plays later, McPherson kicks the game winning 31-yard field goal.

 

The Kansas City Chiefs began the day as the only team to host a championship game for the 4^th year in a row. They were also looking to go to the Super Bowl for the 3^rd straight year. Burrow and the Bengals had different plans. Only the players and their fans believed they would get to the last game of the season. 

 

“We’ve been a second half team all year,” said Burrow. “You don’t really want to be that way but that’s kind of how it’s worked out. Our defense really stepped up in the second half and our offense, we made plays when we had to.”

 

The Cincinnati Bengals will be looking to win their third straight road game as they will face the Los Angeles Rams who beat the San Fransisco 49ers. It will be the second year in a row that a team will host the Super Bowl in their home stadium. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the first last year when they defeated the Chiefs 31-9.