Preamble
So, slow day for sports, huh?
There’s quite a bit going on in a 24-hour timespan or so, but luckily we at the Guardian have got you covered. I’m psyched to be covering today’s AFC championship game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs, where we get to see two of the league’s best quarterbacks square off for the right to appear in this year’s Super Bowl.
This probably isn’t the matchup that most people were expecting. While it almost felt like a lock that Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs would make it at least this far—even if they needed a miracle field goal and some coin flip luck to put away the Buffalo Bills—but the Bengals? The Cincinnati Bengals?
Heading into the postseason, the Bengals had last won a playoff game back in 1991. In the years since their name practically became synonymous with failure and disappointment. However, with the drafting of quarterback Joe Burrow has marked the official end of the Cincinnati Bungles Era. They have now beaten the Las Vegas Raiders at home and, more impressively, the top-seeded Tennessee Titans on the road in last weekend’s thrilling NFL divisional round.
Despite their success, they’re coming into this game as clear underdogs. Not only do the Bengals have to win their second straight road game, but they also have to do it against a Chiefs team that has appeared in the last two Super Bowls and has won one. It’s hard to imagine that the Bengals are going to be able to push the Chiefs to the brink like the Bills did during their 42-36 overtime victory last Sunday (one of the greatest NFL playoff games you’re likely to see).
Yet, after everything we witnessed last weekend, who knows? We could be in for a blowout, like the many we witnessed on Super Wild Card Weekend. We could be in for a competitive loss between two offensive powerhouses. Perhaps, just perhaps, we might see the improbability: the Bengals in the Big Game.
Honestly, it feels like this is going to be entertaining no matter the final result. As we keep track of today’s game action, feel free to send us your NFL-related thoughts, comments and questions either via email (to [email protected]) or on Twitter (@HunterFelt, my home away from home). It’s the AFC Championship Game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Opening kick is scheduled for 3:00 pm EST/8:00 pm GMT, but we’ll be back before then with various bits of news.