KANSAS CITY — It was just another chapter in the Joe Burrow-Patrick Mahomes rivalry where the past two games were each was decided by a field goal in Burrow's favor.
This time Mahomes would get his revenge leading Kansas City on a game-winning drive in the final seconds to give the Chiefs a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday to win the AFC Championship.
The Chiefs will now face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Ariz.
Burrow finished 26 of 41 for 270 yards and one touchdown. He also led Cincinnati in rushing with 30 yards.
Mahomes — who was playing with an injured ankle he suffered last week — finished 29 of 43 for 326 yards and threw two touchdown passes. But despite the bum ankle, Mahomes biggest play of the game came from his legs when he scrambled for a first down on the final drive to help set up the game winning field goal.
The big play came on a third-and-four play as Mahomes gained the yardage necessary to keep the drive moving, but a costly late hit penalty by Joseph Ossai would tack 15 more yards onto the end of the run and put the Chiefs in field goal range.
Butlker would come on a nail a 45-yard kick through the posts and give Kansas City a 23-20 lead with :03 left.
The Chiefs have now won three AFC Championships in the last four seasons.
It was a disappointing end to a Bengals team, who had not lost a game since Halloween night to Cleveland and crushed a Buffalo Bills team the previous week.
Kansas City struck first after forcing Cincinnati to punt on their opening drive.
Mahomes would hit Travis Kelce and Isaiah Pacheco for 16-yard gains to put Kansas City at the Bengals 30. But the Chiefs would have to settle for a 43-yard field goal from Harrison Butker to take an early 3-0 lead with 8:50 remaining in the first quarter.
The Kansas City defense would harass Burrow in the first half, sacking him four times, with three coming in the first quarter.
The Chiefs would appear to find the end zone when Pacheco would scamper in from nine yards, but a holding call would nullify the play and stall the drive.
Butker would connect on a 24-yard field goal and extend the Chiefs lead to 6-0.
Burrow and the Bengals would finally get the offense going on their following possession.
Tyler Boyd and Burrow would hook up twice on the drive for 16 and 24-yards, with the second pitch-and-catch coming on a key third-and-14 play to extend the drive.
Kansas City's defense would finally bow up and force Evan McPherson to convert a 30-yard field goal and cut the score to 6-3 with 8:30 remaining in the second quarter.
The Chiefs would march down the field on their ensuing possession with two key completions by Mahomes to Marquez Valdes-Scantling for 11 and 29 yards.
On fourth-and-one, coach Andy Reid and the Chiefs would roll the dice and go for it at the Cincinnati 14. Mahomes would rollout off a play fake and hit Travis Kelce for the touchdown and give Kansas City a 13-3 lead.
Burrow and the Bengals would engineer a late scoring drive that would start on their own 3.
The drive almost came to a crashing halt on third-and-two, as Juan Thornhill stepped in front of a Burrow pass to give the Chiefs the ball. But Kansas City was called for passing interference, giving the Bengals a first down and out of the shadow of their own end zone.
Burrow would take advantage of the miscue by Kansas City. Navigating the offense down to the Chiefs 5 but could not move the ball any further. McPherson would kick a 23-yard field goal as time expired to cut the lead down to 13-6 at the break.
Cincinnati would tie the game up when Burrow would hit Tee Higgins on a 27-yard strike with 8:30 remaining in the third frame.
Higgins lead the Bengals in receiving with 6 catches for 83 yards. Ja'Marr Chase had 75 yards on six receptions.
Kansas City would answer to take back the lead with an 11-play, 77-yard drive. Mahomes would finish off the drive by hitting Valdes-Scantling for a 19-yard scoring pass to put the Chiefs back out in front 20-13.
The Chiefs would get the ball back, looking to add to their lead, but Mahomes would have the ball knocked from his hand while being sacked and Sam Hubbard would pounce on the ball, giving Cincinnati possession at the Chiefs 45.
Cincinnati would need six plays to take advantage of the turnover, as Perine would score from two yards out to tie the game up at 20.
Later on the Bengals defense would force a punt, giving Burrow the ball at their own 6 with 2:36 remaining in regulation and a chance for some late game heroics.
The Chiefs defense seemingly had the Bengals bottled up to force a punt after causing Burrow to commit an intentional grounding penalty on second down. Then on third-and-16, Burrow would hit Hayden Hurst for a 23 yards to move the chains and keep the drive alive.
But Chris Jones would get to Burrow on third down, giving Kansas City five sacks for the game and force a punt.
Skyy Moore would get an 18-yard return out of the play and put the ball at their own 47 yard line with :30 remaining to set up the last second heroics by Mahomes.
Cincinnati would attempt a desperation kick return with laterals, but were unsuccessful.
Cincinnati 0 6 7 7 = 20
Kansas City 3 10 7 3 = 23
First Quarter
KC–Butker 43 field goal, 8:50.
Second Quarter
KC–Butker 24 field goal, 14:58.
Cin–McPherson 30 field goal, 8:30.
KC–Kelce 14 pass from Mahomes (Butker kick), 3:53.
Cin–McPherson 23 field goal, 0:00.
Third Quarter
Cin–Higgins 27 pass from Burrow (McPherson kick), 8:30.
KC–Valdes-Scantling 19 pass from Mahomes (Butker kick), 4:15.
Fourth Quarter
Cin–Perine 2 run (McPherson kick), 13:30.
KC–Butker 45 field goal, 0:03.
A–72,936.
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Cin KC
First downs 18 23
Total Net Yards 309 357
Rushes-yards 17-71 20-42
Passing 238 315
Punt Returns 1-5 3-41
Kickoff Returns 2-46 3-63
Interceptions Ret. 0-0 2-6
Comp-Att-Int 26-41-2 29-42-0
Sacked-Yards Lost 5-32 3-11
Punts 4-49.0 4-37.8
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 1-1
Penalties-Yards 9-71 4-55
Time of Possession 27:09 32:51
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INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING–Cincinnati, Mixon 8-19, Perine 5-22 TD, Burrow 4-30. Kansas City, Pacheco 10-26, Mahomes 3-8, Hardman 2-7, McKinnon 4-1, Jones 1-0.
PASSING–Cincinnati, Burrow 26-41-2-270 TD. Kansas City, Mahomes 29-43-0-326 2TD.
RECEIVING–Cincinnati, Chase 6-75, Hurst 4-37, Perine 3-4, Higgins 6-83 TD, Mixon 3-15, Boyd 2-40, Irwin 1-6, Wilcox 1-10. Kansas City, Kelce 7-78 TD, Valdes-Scantling 6-116 TD, Pacheco 5-59, McKinnon 2-17, Kemp 1-13, Moore 3-13, Hardman 2-10, Toney 1-9, Smith-Schuster 1-7, Gray 1-4.
MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.
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