Bengals Stun Chiefs To Reach First Super Bowl Since 1989

Evan McPherson kicked the winning field goal in overtime as the Cincinnati Bengals came from behind to upset the Kansas City Chiefs 27-24 on Sunday and reach their first Super Bowl since 1989.

The upstart Bengals, who won only twice just two seasons ago, will play for the NFL crown on February 13 at Los Angeles against the winner of the later game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams.

"We're not done yet," warned Bengals coach Zac Taylor.

"We've got a special team. Everyone stepped up, man. We knew it would come down to one team making the plays to win, and our guys did that."

It was a stunning AFC Championship defeat for the host Chiefs, who were seeking a third consecutive Super Bowl trip after winning in 2020 and losing to Tampa Bay last year.

Cincinnati will try to win the Super Bowl for the first time since the club began play in 1968, having lost to San Francisco in 1982 and 1989 in its only prior appearances in the NFL spectacle.

"Big win for us," Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said. "This is something I always wanted, to play in a Super Bowl and I couldn't be with a better group of guys."

Burrow, a 25-year-old quarterback who led the NFL in completion percentage in only his second NFL campaign, completed 23-of-38 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns.

Kansas City star Patrick Mahomes threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns but surrendered his first two interceptions in four AFC finals.

Rallying from an 18-point deficit to match the greatest comeback in conference championship history, the Bengals escaped a 21-3 first-half hole to advance.

Sparked by Burrow, the Bengals snapped an eight-game playoff losing streak dating to 1991 with three wins this month.

Rookie McPherson kicked a 52-yard field goal to give the Bengals their first lead at 24-21 with just over six minutes to play.

The Chiefs marched to the Cincinnati 4-yard line in the final seconds but Mahomes was sacked and nearly lost the ball, but Harrison Butker's 44-yard field goal on the final play of regulation forced overtime.

The Chiefs, coming off a walk-off overtime victory against Buffalo a week earlier, won the coin toss and received the ball, trying to become the first team to win back-to-back NFL over-time playoff games.

But Vonn Bell intercepted a Mahomes pass and the Bengals took over, Burrow guiding them down the field to set up McPherson's decisive field goal from 31 yards.

The Chiefs went 11-1 in their prior 12 games but the loss was at Cincinnati by 34-31 on January 2, when Burrow threw for 446 yards and four touchdowns as the Bengals rallied from 11 points down at half-time -- as they did again Sunday.

"We've been a second-half team all year," Burrow said. "You don't really want to be that way, but that's kind of how it has worked out.

"Our defense really stepped up in the second half and on offense we made plays when we had to. It was just a great overall team effort."

McPherson's 31-yard field goal with 2:58 remaining in the third quarter had lifted the Bengals within 21-13.

Three plays later, Cincinnati's B.J. Hill intercepted a Mahomes pass to set up Burrow's 2-yard touchdown pass to Ja'Marr Chase and a 2-point conversion pass to Trent Taylor that lifted Cincinnati level.

Mahomes completed 18-of-21 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns in the first half -- a 10-yard throw to Tyreek Hill, a 5-yard toss to Travis Kelce and a 3-yard flip to Mecole Hardman.

The Bengals had answered on a 32-yard McPherson field goal but Samaje Perine caught a screen pass from Burrow and raced 41 yards for a touchdown with 1:05 remaining in the second quarter.

The Chiefs drove to the Cincinnati 1-yard line with nine seconds remaining in the first half but, after an incomplete pass, Hill was tackled shy of the goal line to keep the Bengals within 21-10 at half-time.