On its fourth drive of the game, up 21-10, K.C. Not getting points at end of first half dooms Chiefs.Take away those big plays, and Burrow will find another way to move the chains. Yes, Chase is the most explosive talent, but the Bengals are more than a one-trick offense. Cincy proved that even if Chase is slowed for stretches and the explosive player is negated, they have the weapons to take advantage of other coverages. When Burrow needed a big play, he often looked Higgins' way, and the receiver delivered. Higgins went for 108 yards on six catches. Higgins again stepped into that void, killing the Chiefs defense over the middle. With the Chiefs intent on doubling the dynamic rookie, Burrow looked elsewhere early. The Bengals offense is more than just Ja'Marr Chase.The Bengals dropped eight-plus defenders on a season-high 35% of pass plays, per Next Gen Stats, holding Mahomes to just 7 of 13 for 59 yards, an INT and two sacks on such plays. Safety Jessie Bates tipping a deep shot to Hill for a Vonn Bell interception in overtime exemplified the type of lockdown play the back end sported in critical spots this season. Making the Chiefs play one-handed like that is something few defenses can accomplish. The Bengals secondary didn't allow a single second-half reception to the star receiver Hill. That's the type of coverage that Cincy used to suffocate a potent K.C. At times the QB sat in the pocket and sat, and sat and sat and sat. The secondary was smothering in the second half, not giving Mahomes an inch of daylight to make a play. After flying under the radar all season, the Bengals' defense played lights out on a big stage. The Cincinnati defense is unheralded no more. The Chiefs will be kicking themselves all offseason for not squashing the upstart Bengals when they had the chance. Mahomes' last play of the season was an INT. After winning another coin toss, Mahomes sent an arm-punt towards Tyreek Hill that was intercepted. The Chiefs looked like they woke up on the final drive getting it to first-and-goal from the 5-yard-line, but two Mahomes sacks forced a long field goal to force overtime. There was zero rhythm, and early-down runs put K.C. The offense going in the tank looked eerily similar to the second-half output in the Week 17 loss in Cincinnati. After looking dazzling early, Mahomes struggled to find open receivers and took four big sacks. Its first five possessions of the third and fourth quarters went for 34 total yards and just two first downs with a Mahomes interception. After the halftime break, the offense never woke up. The Chiefs' first four possessions went for 84, 75, 72 and 80 yards. sprinted out to a big lead, scoring touchdowns on its first three possessions to go up, 21-3. Chiefs offense picks a bad time to take a nap.The other two: Tom Brady in 2001 and Kurt Warner in 1999. Burrow became just the third QB in NFL history to have multiple game-winning drives in a single postseason in one of his first two career seasons. Between Burrow making pinpoint passes and running back Joe Mixon churning out yards, the Bengals' offense was the one moving the ball in the second half with the game on the line. took away his deep shot, Burrow calmly hit crossers and screens for chunk gains. The second-year QB made the plays late that Mahomes didn't. Burrow was poised all day, taking just one sack and wiggling out of several others to scramble for big first downs. Five runs later, rookie kicker Evan McPherson sent the Bengals to their first Super Bowl since the 1988 season where they'll face the Los Angeles Rams. forced overtime, Burrow continued to show ice water in his veins, finding Tee Higgins for a big first down to move into field goal range. Joe Burrow began to hit his stride, the defense clamped down on Patrick Mahomes, and Cincinnati came flying back to take the lead late in the fourth quarter. Down 21-3 midway through the second quarter, the Bengals didn't blink. The Comeback Kids send Bengals to the Super Bowl.READ: Chadiha: Seven factors that could determine Super Bowl LVI.READ: Tyrann Mathieu 'hoping' to re-sign with Chiefs in offseason.READ: Bell, Bengals D smother Chiefs after hot start: 'We never batted an eye'.READ: Rookie kicker McPherson delivers again to send Bengals to SB LVI.READ: Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid take responsibility for second-half woes.
READ: Battista: NFL's new Joe Cool puts Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.
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