KC Chiefs exact their revenge and punch ticket to Super Bowl LVII

The Kansas City Chiefs survived a tough Cincinnati Bengals team that sent them packing in the same game one year ago today.

This time last year, the Kansas City Chiefs exited GEHA Field as the Cincinnati Bengals were accepting the trophy bearing their founder’s name. An opportunity to return to the Super Bowl, for the third-straight season, was violently ripped from their hands. Kansas City came unglued in the second half of a game they had been leading by three scores. Fast forward 364 days into the future and the fates of these two teams have flipped. It’s the Bengals headed for an early offseason this time.

Despite an uneven game and several players felled by injury, Kansas City bested Cincinnati 23-20. Led by a valiant performance by MVP-hopeful Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs survived a 14-7 run by Cincinnati and slammed the door shut with a 43-yard field goal from kicker Harrison Butker. Kadarius Toney, Mecole Hardman, and JuJu Smith-Schuster all left the game early due to injuries. Mahomes managed to score 10 points with Marcus Kemp and rookie Skyy Moore playing meaningful snaps in the second half.

The story of the game was the performance of the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense. They played arguably their best game of the season posting five sacks, six tackles for loss, and two turnovers. Standout corner L’Jarius Sneed went into the NFL’s concussion protocol in the first quarter and was later ruled out. That left the task of corraling the league’s best receiver trio with three rookie cornerbacks. Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, and Joshua Williams responded by limiting the three-headed monster to 198 combined receiving yards and just one touchdown.

Kansas City’s defensive line was an irresistible force in the first 30 minutes of regulation. Burrow was sacked four times and the Bengals punted or turned the ball over on three of their first four drives. Cincinnati could manage only six first-half points and it appeared the Chiefs might run away with the game. Unfortunately, some of the warts that plagued Kansas City throughout the season returned on Sunday. The Chiefs would turn the ball over again when threatening to stretch their lead to two scores (much like they did in the regular season matchup back in Week 13).

The Bengals were able to keep the game close due to some Chiefs’ penalties in key situations and a Patrick Mahomes fumble that Cincinnati recovered. Andy Reid’s offense had just one drive of more than eight plays in the second half. The ineptitude over the back half of the contest enabled Cincinnati to rally and tie the game at 20 late in the third quarter. Through 45 minutes of regulation, it appeared Kansas City was reliving last year’s title game. In the final frame, they found some Arrowhead magic and booked their tickets back to the site where their season started: Glendale, Arizona.

The next two weeks will be an uncertain time for Kansas City with a number of players trying to return from serious injuries. A number of the players who exited the game today are key members of Kansas City’s offense. Having them healthy against the Philadelphia Eagles and the league’s best pass rush will play a key role in Kansas City’s pursuit of a second ring in four years.

For now, the Chiefs should pat themselves on the back for making the Super Bowl in a season where wide receiver Tyreek Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins. This is a young football team that is reliant upon major contributions from its rookie players. That said, Kansas City is just one game from crossing the finish line with another Lombardi Trophy.