By Kevin Long
Staff Writer
AFC Championship Recap
Cincinnati Bengals @ Kansas City Chiefs (27-24)
“Who Dey?” wasn't really a question in the football world anymore going into this game, as the Cincinnati Bengals have arrived and they have their sights on winning it all. Their final hurdle on the way to the Super Bowl was not an easy one to jump over. The Bengals had to beat the Kansas City Chiefs and star QB Patrick Mahomes in their own stadium. While the Chiefs leapt out to an early lead in the first half, scoring 21 points, their offense cooled off entirely starting in the third quarter. This allowed Bengals QB Joe Burrow to get to work and put his team back in the game. But it is worth noting that it was the Cincinnati defense holding Mahomes and company off — which ultimately allowed the Bengals to make a comeback.
Speaking of Mahomes, it was as though the man we saw before halftime and after were two completely different players. He seemed to fall apart completely by overtime, finishing the game with a few uncharacteristic interceptions. The Chiefs should have won this game, and in fact they had multiple wasted opportunities where they could have easily run away with the game; be it when they had an 11 point lead going into the half or when they won the coin toss going into overtime. Many NFL fans must be ecstatic right now, as this is the first Super Bowl in five years that will not feature Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes on either side of the contest.
NFC Championship Recap
San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams (20-17)
Divisional rivals meeting in the final round of the playoffs is nothing short of perfection, and you would be hard pressed to find a better scenario for an NFL championship game. This one certainly lived up to that hype. The 49ers had bested the Rams twice earlier in the season, raising questions about who would emerge victorious. This matchup was all about how well each defense could contain the opposing team’s star wide receiver. WR Cooper Kupp of the Rams and WR Deebo Samuel of the 49ers are both electric, and you could tell that both players wanted to win this game and would do anything just to squeeze out another yard on every play. Samuel fought through injury to bring some semblance of offensive production to the 49ers where QB Jimmy Garropolo could not.
The most gut-wrenching part of the game was without a doubt the near interception in the fourth quarter by 49ers safety Jaquiski Tartt. The ball was perfectly placed for Tartt to pick off QB Matt Stafford, and essentially seal the game for the 49ers, but he just couldn't haul it in. Stafford was not perfect in this game, and will need to continue cleaning up his mistakes if he is to have any hope of winning a Super Bowl after 13 long years in the league. Win or lose, Stafford finally gets to play in the big game after all the years he spent trapped in Detroit.
Super Bowl Preview
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Los Angeles Rams (Sunday Feb. 13, 6:30 p.m.)
So here we are, the conclusion to the longest season in NFL history, and arguably the most unpredictable one. The final stop on this wild ride is SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California — home of the Rams.
The Rams also happen to be one of the contenders in this game, making it the second year in a row that there has been a home team in the Super Bowl. Their opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals, have been somewhat of a Cinderella story this season, going from last to first in their division and overcoming doubts about the quality of first round pick WR Ja’Marr Chase. The Bengals have never won the Super Bowl before and are going back to the big game for the first time since 1988.
While the Rams have been here before and won in 2000 against the Titans, QB Matt Stafford has never won the Super Bowl despite playing since 2009 and putting up impressive numbers, marking this game as his chance to win a ring. Expect to see conversations regarding Stafford’s case for being a Hall of Famer should the Rams win it all.
It seems we have an amazing matchup for this year’s Super Bowl — two teams who have put everything into this season and are ready to go all out one last time.
