Kansas City Chiefs headed back to Super Bowl after finally taking down Burrow, Bengals

An untimely penalty and a game-winning 45-yard kick became the difference with less than a minute remaining in the AFC Championship Game.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai was flagged for a 15-yard personal foul after hitting already hobbled Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes out of bounds with 17 seconds remaining Sunday night at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

The infraction moved the Chiefs closer to the Bengals’ 27-yard line, where Harrison Butker took care of the rest by drilling a 45-yard field goal to give his team a 23-20 victory that sends the Chiefs to Super Bowl LVII.

“Being out there was unbelievable,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “There’s nothing like winning the championship at home. That’s just a special feeling.”

That Butker played a role in the win after an up and down season, which saw him miss three field goals, also provided a special moment.

“Butker, what a redemption story,” Reid said. “He comes back after a high-ankle sprain, has kind of moved his season a different direction than he wanted (for) a period there. He came back and just knocked it out.”

The Chiefs and Bengals traded jabs in the first half before exchanging heavy blows in the second. And Mahomes made sure it was his team that would advance.

He passed for 326 yards and two touchdowns, adding 8 yards rushing on three carries, and snapped the Bengals’ three-game winning streak over the Chiefs.

“They’re a great team, great leaders over there,” Mahomes said. “But we felt like we needed to get this win, we wanted to play this team and we got them at Arrowhead Stadium, and we were able to finished the job this time.”

Mahomes’ performance is even more impressive knowing his fast recovery from a high-ankle sprain suffered in the AFC Divisional Round.

“It was pure grit,” Reid said. “He and (Travis) Kelce. For Pat to do what he did and had that run in the end, I can’t say enough. He is the MVP in my eyes.”

Defense became an early theme in a game featuring two of the NFL’s top offenses. The Chiefs opened the second half with a three-and-out and the Bengals made Kansas City pay.

Joe Burrow led an eight-play, 62-yard drive that included a quarterback draw covering 11 yards. Bengal also tossed a well-placed 27-yard pass to wide receiver Tee Higgins, who got behind rookie cornerback Jaylen Watson in the end zone. That Bengals touchdown tied the game at 13-13.

The Chiefs answered on their next drive. Mahomes drove the offense 77 yards in 11 plays and finished the march with a 19-yard dart of a TD to wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Mahomes connected with Valdes-Scantling three times on the drive on gains of 6, 19 and 25 yards.

Valdes-Scantling finished the game with a team-high 116 yards receiving and the touchdown on six catches.

“MVS had a nice day,” Reid said.

Mahomes showed only faint signs of the high-ankle injury, but he fumbled late in the third quarter with the Chiefs leading 20-13. That turnover gave the Bengals possession at the Chiefs’ 45-yard line.

Burrow marched the Bengals to paydirt in six plays, including a 35-yard completion to receiver J’Marr Chase on fourth and 6. Running back Samaje Perine finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run and the game was tied again at 20-20.

The excitement level in the game ratcheted up in the second half after the two teams seemed to feel each other out on the first.

The Chiefs lost cornerback L’Jarius Sneed on the fourth play of the game to a concussion. Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark ended the Bengals’ opening possession with a sack of Burrow. The Bengals punted after a five-play, 9-yard drive.

On the Chiefs’ opening possession, Mahomes completed 3 of 4 passes for 35 yards and would’ve had a 25-yard touchdown pass if wide receiver Kadarius Toney was able to haul in the ball. Toney couldn’t maintain possession when he fell in the end zone, and the Chiefs settled for Butker’s 43-yard field goal.

The Chiefs’ defense took over on Cincinnati’s second possession. Clark and linebacker Willie Gay split a sack and then Jones got the first playoff sack of his career. He later got a second.

On the Chiefs’ ensuing possession, Mahomes drove the offense 61 yards in 12 plays with completions to tight end Travis Kelce, running back Isiah Pacheco and running back Jerick McKinnon. Pacheco broke free for an apparent 9-yard touchdown run, but a holding penalty on Andrew Wylie moved the Chiefs back. KC eventually settled for another field goal.

The Bengals’ offense woke up after two ineffective possessions. Burrow engineered a 13-play, 63-yard drive that featured 16- and 24-yard completions to receiver Tyler Boyd. Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis sacked Burrow and Cincinnati stalled inside the red zone. Evan McPerson’s 30-yard field goal cut the Chiefs’ lead to 6-3.

The Chiefs got their first touchdown on their third possession, going 75 yards in eight plays. With the Chiefs facing a fourth-and-1 situation at the Bengals’ 14, Mahomes found his favorite target, Kelce, with a laser pass in the end zone. Butker was good on the extra point and the Chiefs led 13-3.

Cincinnati’s next possession lasted just three plays. Rookie cornerback Jaylen Watson picked off Burrow and returned it 10 yards to the Bengals’ 39, and the play happened because rookie safety Bryan Cook knocked the pass in the air.

The Bengals got a 23-yard field goal at the end of the opening half.

In the end, the Chiefs defense, especially the young players, did their part to ensure the Bengals weren’t winning this time around.

“Our defense stepped up and got some stops for us in the end,” Mahomes said.

HARDMAN’S RETURN

Mecole Hardman appeared in his first game since Week 9 but didn’t have much of an impact.

The Chiefs utilized the fourth-year wide receiver in the running and passing game, and he totaled 17 yards (7 rushing) before injuring his pelvis in the second half.

The Chiefs previously activated Hardman from the reserve/injured list in late December, but he was inactive for the regular-season finale and the AFC Divisional Round game.

SACK PARTY

The Chiefs took advantage of the Bengals’ suspect offensive line by recording five sacks on Burrow.

“The front five, front four, played resilient tonight,” Jones said. “Those guys, they showed up and answered the call when needed.”

Jones (two), Clark, Gay and the rookie Karlaftis each recorded a takedown. Burrow was sacked 41 times in the regular season, fourth-most in the league.

“Chris Jones had an unbelievable game along with Frank Clark,” Reid said. “I mean, constantly in the backfield and just busted their tails. What a performance they had.”

INJURIES

Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed left in the first quarter to be evaluated for a concussion. The Chiefs later ruled him out for the rest of the game.

Wide receiver Kadarius Toney suffered an ankle injury on the Chiefs’ second offensive series before being ruled out.

“He tweaked that,” Reid said of Toney’s ankle.

Linebacker Willie Gay left the game in the third quarter with a shoulder injury, while wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster suffered a knee injury.

DID NOT DRESS

Wide receiver Justin Watson (illness), quarterback Shane Buechele, tight end Blake Bell, defensive lineman Malik Herring, offensive lineman Darian Kinnard, defensive end Joshua Kaindoh, wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette.

UP NEXT

The Chiefs advance to the Super Bowl for the third time in four seasons. They’ll face the Philadelphia Eagles, a team Reid coached for 14 seasons before joining Kansas City in 2013, in Super Bowl LVII at Glendale, Arizona on Feb.12.

“I can’t wait until Kansas City and Philly clash,” Reid said. “It’s going to be awesome, man. What a great Super Bowl it will be.”