The Kansas City Chiefs took down the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game. The Chiefs beat the Bengals 23-20 and will now advance to Super Bowl LVII where they will take on the Philadelphia Eagles.
The championship game is slated for Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m.
The stage is set. #SBLVII@Chiefs | @Eagles pic.twitter.com/FoKA914sxS
— NFL (@NFL) January 30, 2023
Kansas City Chiefs
The 2023 AFC Championship Game took place at Arrowhead Stadium, which is the home turf for the Chiefs.
Kansas City was back to avenge their loss to the Bengals last year. During the 2022 AFC Conference Championship Game, the Chiefs lost 27-24. This year, however, the Chiefs came out on top beating the Bengals by three points with a final score of 23-20.
See you in Arizona, @Eagles! #SBLVII | #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/VJcjHcYQZi
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 30, 2023
Player Spotlight
The Chiefs took a leap of faith when they played their injured quarterback. Patrick Mahomes suffered an ankle injury in the divisional round and although he was not 100%, Mahomes was able to complete 29 of his 43 passes for a total of 336 yards and two touchdowns.
Another MVP of the night was Chiefs’ kicker Harrison Butker who knocked in the 45-yard game-winning field goal. The Georgia Tech alum has now been with the Chiefs for six seasons.
PATRICK. LAVON. MAHOMES. pic.twitter.com/9tipyBY0dj
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 30, 2023
Winning Play
With 17 seconds left on the clock and a tied game at 20 a piece, the Chiefs had possession of the ball.
Mahomes tries to run for a first down but gets hit out of bounds by Bengals’ defensive end Joseph Ossai. Ossai was flagged for unnecessary roughness, and the Chiefs were given 15 yards. The penalty put Kansas City in perfect range for a field goal.
With just seconds left on the clock, Butker sticks the kick for a field goal, securing the win. The Chiefs beat the Bengals by three, ending the night with a score of 23-20.
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LET'S GOOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/Lcvprj1C42
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 30, 2023
Cincinnati Bengals
It was a tough day to be a Bengals fan as they fell short by three points to the Chiefs.
The Bengals were hoping to make it back to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row. Last year, the Bengals beat the Chiefs by three points, this year it was the Chiefs’ turn to win.
Head Coach Zac Taylor and Bengals players speak to the media.
https://t.co/JgkEuZx9sl— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 30, 2023
Positive and negatives
Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow completed 26 of 41 passes for a total of 270 yards. He added one passing touchdown and two interceptions.
All tied up.#CINatKC | 📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/dR7Wd6kImM
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 30, 2023
The Bengals hit a turn for the worst as defensive end Joseph Ossai got an unnecessary roughness flag which then placed the Chiefs in a perfect position for a field goal.
We will be back. pic.twitter.com/WppALPWibK
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 30, 2023
The Super Bowl is set for Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. in Arizona.