Chiefs and Bengals meet once more with Tremendous Bowl on the road
There can be no favourites, no underdogs and nothing to decide on between the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas Metropolis Chiefs after they face off within the AFC Championship recreation on Sunday with a spot within the NFL’s Tremendous Bowl on the road.
“We all know them. They know us. It is gonna be enjoyable,” stated Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow as he mirrored on the re-match of final season’s recreation on the similar stage of the season.
The Chiefs had been 21-3 up at half-time in that recreation however led by Burrow, running-back Joe Mixon and large receiver Tee Higgins, the Bengals fought again for a 27-24 time beyond regulation win on the highway at Arrowhead Stadium.
It was an upset outcome which stopped the Chiefs from advancing to a 3rd straight Tremendous Bowl, and whereas the Bengals misplaced the large recreation to the Los Angeles Rams they’ve confirmed that win was no fluke.
In December, Cincinnati defeated Patrick Mahomes and firm once more, this time at house, however by the identical 27-24 scoreline.
Certainly, the Bengals have received their final three video games in opposition to the Chiefs however regardless of the swagger that has accompanied their run of ten straight wins, together with playoff triumphs over the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Payments, Burrow is cautious when speaking about Sunday’s opponents.
“We all know the crew we’re taking part in, we have performed them a bunch. We all know that they will be learning all three of those video games identical to we’re. So we will should be prepared for something,” he stated.
Whereas the Bengals have the momentum and the latest success on this match-up, the Chiefs have the consistency proven by reaching 5 straight AFC Championship video games.
“To me, they’re nonetheless the crew to beat and we’re coming for them, however we all know it’ll be powerful,” Burrow stated. “We all know it’ll be onerous fought, and we all know the type of gamers they’ve on that facet.”
Not everybody on the Bengals crew has purchased into that message although with defensive again Mike Hilton caught referring to Kansas Metropolis’s well-known stadium as ‘Burrowhead’.
The Chiefs’ excellent tight-end Travis Kelce was fast to reply to that bravado.
“They’re throwing numerous bulletin board materials on the market,” he stated.
Mahomes, working his manner again from an ankle harm picked up in final week’s Divisional Spherical win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, is effectively conscious of the powerful, bodily crew up in opposition to him, however regardless of their head-to-head document he is not shopping for into any discuss of the Chiefs being underdogs at Arrowhead.
“Each time I stroll on that area, I do not suppose I am an underdog,” Mahomes stated.
“Particularly once I stroll on Arrowhead’s area. I simply go in with the identical mindset of we’re gonna should play our greatest soccer to win. We all know we’re taking part in an awesome soccer crew that is beat us the final 3 times. So, we now have to study from our errors prior to now and be higher,” he added.
Victory for the Chiefs would might imply their coach Andy Reid going through his previous crew, the Philadelphia Eagles, within the February 12 Tremendous Bowl in Arizona.
– Purdy defies expectations –
The NFC’s high seed host the league’s primary protection within the San Francisco 49ers, who’ve reached this stage with a rookie seventh-round draft decide as their quarterback.
Brock Purdy has defied expectations with performances of spectacular maturity and management after stepping in for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 14, serving to the crew lengthen a profitable streak to 12 video games.
However the Eagles will current his hardest take a look at but having made a league-high 70 sacks this season, together with 16 from linebacker Haason Reddick.
Philadelphia’s offense is led by a quarterback who could cause as a lot injury together with his legs as his arm.
Together with the post-season, Jalen Hurts has thrown for 3,855 yards with 24 touchdowns whereas additionally including 794 dashing yards and 14 dashing touchdowns.
San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan says his facet’s protection should be prepared for each threats.
“We expect this quarterback to run it. We expect him to decrease his shoulder, so we all the time have to return out and deal with him like a operating again till he provides himself up,” he stated.
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