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Contributors
Santiago Leon – @sleon
Joe Toscano – @joeybagovdonuts
Bengals 27 Chiefs 24
For the first time since the 1988 season, the Cincinnati Bengals are heading to the Super Bowl. A second-half rally led by Joe Burrow helped force overtime for the second straight week at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City was again able to win the critical coin toss and gain the opening possession, but a Patrick Mahomes interception forced by Bengals safety Jessie Bates and reeled in by Vonn Bell gave Cincinnati the ball back. Joe Burrow marched the offense 42 yards down the field that set up the AFC Championship-winning field goal by Evan McPherson.
Through the first two quarters, it looked like the Chiefs were destined to reach the Super Bowl for the third consecutive season. They started the day scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions and went into the locker room with a double-digit lead at halftime. The Bengals were able to put down the clamps defensively in the second half and overtime and forced Mahomes into two interceptions that helped spark the comeback.
Since halftime, the Bengals outscored Kansas City 17-3.
Burrow completed 23 of his 38 passes for 250 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in the upset win. Tee Higgins was his go-to receiver as he caught six of his 10 targets for 103 yards. Meanwhile, Mahomes threw for 275 yards, three touchdowns, and two picks.
49ers 17 Rams 20
The Rams had lost six straight games to their rival 49ers entering Sunday night’s NFC Championship, but they decided to snap the streak on a supersized stage. Sean McVay struggled to manage the clock late in the team’s penultimate game of the 2021 season, but riding a big day from Cooper Kupp and his defense, which picked off Jimmy Garoppolo in the final two minutes to seal a 20-17 victory at home, he and the Rams are headed back to the Super Bowl — in their own home, no less, with SoFi Stadium set to host the championship against the Bengals on Feb. 13.
An opening 18-play touchdown drive against the rival Los Angeles Rams was a pretty good start.
Jimmy Garoppolo capped that long drive with the first of his two touchdown passes, Jimmie Ward returned one of his two first-quarter interceptions for another score and the 49ers beat the Rams 31-10 on Monday night for their first home win in more than a year.
Garoppolo threw TD passes to George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, Samuel also ran for a score and Ward delivered the big plays defensively to give San Francisco its second home win in the past two seasons.
Cooper Kupp (11 catches, 142 yards, two touchdowns) and an equally reliable Odell Beckham Jr. (113 yards).
Turning point
McVay had just squandered his third and final timeout of the game trying to challenge a potential 49ers fumble on third-and-short, but after San Francisco’s ensuing drive stalled, Shanahan elected to punt the ball on fourth-and-2 near midfield. He could’ve gone for the kill shot there, potentially picking up a new set of downs, burning clock and controlling the close of the game.