Patrick Mahomes

WATCH: Chiefs Beat Bengals for Super Bowl Berth After Head-Scratching Penalty

For the third time in the past four seasons, the Kansas City Chiefs will be playing in February. Kansas City punched its ticket to Super Bowl LVII after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20, in the AFC Championship Game Sunday.

The play of the game occurred with eight seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the two teams knotted up at 20. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was flushed out of the pocket on a third-and-4 from midfield. He scrambled to his right to pick up the first down, despite nursing a high ankle sprain entering the game.

Cincinnati’s saving grace, however, was that Mahomes was knocked out of bounds at around the 40-yard line, meaning a game-winning field goal attempt would be from a long way out. Yeah, about that…notice the “Mahomes was knocked out of bounds” part of that last sentence.

Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai gave Mahomes an extra shove after he was already out of bounds. Ossai received a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness, giving Kansas City a much more doable field goal attempt. Harrison Butker nailed the 45-yarder to ice the game and send Cincinnati packing.

“It’s tough. One play. Didn’t come down to that,” Taylor said of the play after the game.

Chiefs, Eagles Set for Super Bowl LVII

The Chiefs certainly aren’t feeling bad for Ossai, especially given the talk coming into the game. From “Burrowhead” to the constant reminder that Cincinnati had beaten Kansas City three times in a row, there was plenty of motivation on the Chiefs’ end. Injuries to Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce weren’t going to hinder that.

Mahomes, the MVP odds-on favorite, completed 29-of-43 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns. He spread the ball around throughout, with receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling finishing with a team-high 116 yards on six receptions and a score. Kelce, questionable prior to the game with a back injury, hauled in seven receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown.

A rather lit Kelce gave the business back to Cincinnati during the postgame celebration on the field.

“Woo! ‘Burrowhead’ my a–,” Kelce said. “Woo! It’s Mahomes’ house!”

The final chapter of the 2022 season ends at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 12. The Chiefs will meet the Eagles, who dominated the San Francisco 49ers Sunday, winning 31-7 in the NFC Championship Game.