The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl after Patrick Mahomes inspired his team to victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Mahomes went into the game nursing an ankle sprain, but pulled out all the stops to end an unwanted streak of his own.
The Chiefs have never beaten the Bengals since Joe Burrow entered the NFL, having lost all three times the two titans have come up against each other. The Chiefs went into Sunday’s game as the favourites, though without fully knowing what they’d be getting from their two star men – quarterback Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce.
Hours before kick-off it emerged Kelce had suffered a back injury during the final play of practice on Friday, but he seemed to have recovered well enough to play on Sunday. Kelce had seven receptions for 78 yards in what was a storming performance alongside Mahomes, who had 29 successful throws with two passing touchdowns.
Despite Mahomes nursing an ankle injury, he ended up making the decisive play with his feet, as he broke out of the pocket and rushed to get the Chiefs into position to take a field goal with just seven seconds left, with Harrison Butker clocking a 55-yard field goal.
Speaking after the game, Mahomes appeared to take a cheeky swipe at the Bengals and his own losing record aganst Burrow, as he quipped: “This team stepped up against a great football team, we showed that this place is still Arrowhead, it’s not Burrowhead anymore.” He was interrupted in his post-game interview by Kelce, who shouted: “Burrowhead my a**! This is Mahomes’ house!”
The Eagles booked their place in the big game with a one-sided beatdown against the San Francisco 49ers earlier on Sunday. The 49ers suffered a devastating blow early in the first quarter when quarterback Brock Purdy was hit while making a pass and suffered an elbow injury.