Bengals punch ticket to LA as Money Mac wins it in OT
KANSAS CITY – January 30, 2022 – Brendon D. Miller
Could the Bengals actually do it again? Could Joe Cool tame the frenzy of Arrowhead and defeat the mighty Chiefs for the second time in a month and send the stripes to the Super Bowl? Yes and Yes.
In a game that played out very near the regular season meeting at Paul Brown Stadium on January 2nd, the Chiefs scored on their first three drives of the game and led 21-10 at the half. Then like the priot matchup, the Bengals defense made halftime adjustments and the Chiefs then failed to score again until time expired in regulation. KC superstar Tyreek Hill had 74 yards and a touchdown in the first half, but zero in the second half and overtime.
The momentum turner was the Defense standing up and snuffing out the Chiefs without points at the end of the first half. Then Joey B and the talent took over the second half.
With the Chiefs ahead 21-3 and all momentum on their side, Burrow hit Samaje Perine on a swing which went for 41 yards to the house. The Bengals had their first touchdown of the game and seemed to have some momenum for the second half with :65 on the clock, now down 21-10.
But :65 was too long with Mahomes on the field. The Chiefs drove inside the 10 with a pass interference on Eli Apple. That is when the Bengals Defense stood up with the play that turned the momentum. Mahomes hit Hill in the flat and was stopped short of the goal line. The stop was the first time this postseason the Chiefs hadn’t scored on a red zone possession.
Just like in the first matchup, it was all Chiefs in the first half. The Chiefs had fewer points, but also had fewer possessions. The Chiefs scored on their first three possessions, and still made it all the way to the goal line on their fourth.
Unlike in the regular season game between these two, when no Chiefs receivers had more than 53 yards, Hill and Kelce already surpassed that number in the first half.
The Bengals forced the Chiefs to finally punt in the next half, and the Bengals’ offense got to the red zone for the second time. Melvin Ingram sacked Burrow on first-and-goal, then knocked down a screen on second-and-goal to stop the Bengals’ offense in their tracks. McPherson made the 31-yard field goal with 2:58 remaining in the third quarter, and the Bengals still trailed 21-13.
That was McPherson’s tenth field goal this postseason, which broke Jim Breech’s franchise record for most in a single postseason in franchise history.
B.J. Hill came up clutch by knocking down a screen and hauling in the interception. The Bengals’ offense took over at the Chiefs’ 27-yard.
The Bengals got to the two-yard line, where Burrow then hit Chase on a two yard for the short touchdown. The Bengals went for two, and Burrow found Trent Taylor for the score. Suddenly, the game was tied at 21 apiece with 14 seconds left remaining in the third quarter
Burrow had two scrambles for first downs as the halfway mark of the fourth quarter approached. Higgins had a gain of 16 to get into McPherson’s range. The 52-yard kick snuck inside the left upright, and the Bengals had a lead for the first time in the game. Up 24-21, the Bengals defense needed to stop Mahomes again with 6:04 left in the game.
The Chiefs got got more first downs in the next drive than they had in the entire second half up to that point. Trying to milk the clock, they got the ball to the red zone by the two-minute warning. From the nine yard line on third-and-goal, the Bengals got a coverage sack to force the Chiefs to settle for a 44-yard field goal with three second left. Harrison Butker nailed it, and the Chiefs tied the game to send it to over time.
The Chiefs won the coin toss, and Vonn Bell got the interception to give the Bengals great field position and a chance to win it.
Higgins had two catches for nearly 20 yards to get the Bengals right inside McPherson’s range. From there, Mixon got the ball inside the 15-yard line to all but seal the game. McPherson attempted the 31-yarder, and it was good.
The Bengals won it 27-24 off of another McPherson field goal.
The Bengals became the second team in NFL history to overcome an 18-point deficit to win a playoff game.
Now, the Bengals will prepare to head to Los Angeles for Super Bowl LVI to face the Rams on their home field.
