KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Skyy Moore returning punts had become fodder for social-media punchlines this season for the Kansas City Chiefs.
But after defensive tackle Chris Jones exorcized a postseason demon with a third-down sack against Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow on Sunday in an AFC Championship Game rematch at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Moore’s 29-yard punt return set up Harrison Butker’s game-winning field goal in another three-point game between the budding rivals.
The Bengals had beaten the Chiefs three times — all by three points — in the last 13 months, but Kansas City flipped the script with a 23-20 win Sunday.
"Getting to celebrate winning the Lamar Hunt trophy with our fans is very, very special to our family and then to our organization," said Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt — whose father's name, Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt, is on the trophy given to the AFC champions.
Coach Andy Reid will now face his former team, the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles, in Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona.
"My goal is to win the Super Bowl, and obviously the AFC Championship is something that I’ll forever remember — winning that Lamar Hunt trophy at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium," quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. "But to me, the job’s not finished. I mean, all you can think about is how are you going to get better."
Mahomes, who battled a high ankle sprain all week after gutting through an AFC Divisional win last weekend, was hit out of bounds on a scramble to set up Butker’s 45-yard boot with 3 seconds left.
"At some points in games, you've just got to put it all on the line," Mahomes said. "The defense gave us a couple chances to get in field-goal range. We didn't get in there, but the defense got another stop for us and I just knew I was going to get there."
With that, the Chiefs are heading to their third Super Bowl in the last four seasons — and exorcized the teamwide demons against a chirpy Bengals squad.
Mahomes finished 29 of 43 for 326 yards with two touchdowns and one turnover, a second-half fumble, and also added eight yards rushing in a gutsy performance.
“It took my teammates,” Mahomes said. “I truly believe that.”
Jones, who entered the game with no playoff sacks in his career, took down Burrow twice in leading a Chiefs pass rush that tallied five sacks overall and weathered the loss of cornerback L’Jarius Sneed on the opening drive.
The defense, which picked off Burrow twice, set the tone from the opening drive.
After a false start erased a first-down scramble by Burrow on the game’s opening drive, the Chiefs’ defense got off the field when Mike Danna collapsed the pocket and flushed the Bengals’ QB.
Frank Clark ran Burrow down for his 13th career postseason sack, moving into third place on the all-time NFL list.
He’d add a half-sack later in the half, one of four the defense managed in building a 13-6 halftime lead.
“The fans were roaring, the Kingdom is insane and I look forward to seeing them in AZ,” defensive end Carlos Dunlap said.
Butker connected on field goals of 43 and 24 yards before Cincinnati got on the board with a 30-yard Evan McPherson kick.
Kansas City answered with the half’s only touchdown, a fourth-down heave from Mahomes to Travis Kelce for a 14-yard score.
It was the 13th time the two have connected on a postseason touchdown, breaking a tie for second in NFL history with Joe Montana and Jerry Rice.
The Chiefs had a chance to widen the gulf late in the first half after Jaylen Watson intercepted Burrow, but a quick three-and-out — the drive lasted 20 seconds including the punt — allowed the Bengals to get the ball back before the two-minute warning.
Ninety yards later, Cincinnati ended the half with a 12-yard McPherson field goal.
The Chiefs had another three-and-out to start the second half before the Bengals knotted the game on a 27-yard touchdown from Burrow to Tee Higgins.
Kansas City managed to get untracked for one drive.
Reid had just burned a timeout and he’d already lost a challenge earlier in the game when officials marked Marquez Valdes-Scantling down at the 20-yard line.
Reid threw the challenge flag anyway, hoping the refs would see that Valdes-Scantling reached the ball forward an extra yard before he was tackled to avoid a dicey fourth-down decision.
The challenge was successful and four plays later Mahomes went back to Valdes-Scantling for a 19-yard touchdown, which put the Chiefs back in front.
Kansas City’s defense, which lost cornerback L’Jarius Sneed on the opening drive, got a stop and the offense had a chance to bump the lead even higher, but Mahomes fumbled the ball near midfield to give Cincinnati new life.
"It just slipped right out of my hand, and obviously I tried to pick it up and I wasn’t able to do that," Mahomes said. "Luckily, it didn’t cost us the game, because it was a big moment in the game. Our defense stepped up and got some stops for us there at the end.”
Still, the Bengals made it hurt, converting a fourth-and-6 on the ensuing drive when Joe Burrow lobbed a 35-yard bomb to Ja’Marr Chase — who split two rookies, cornerback Jaylen Watson and safety Bryan Cook, in coverage.
Two plays later, Samaje Perine powered into the end zone and the game was tied again at 20-20 after the extra point.
Cincy went to the deep-ball well again, but Cook tipped a long Burrow throw intended for Tee Higgins to fellow rookie Joshua Williams on the next drive.
Once again, the Chiefs weren’t able to capitalize.
The drive stalled just past midfield and Reid opted to punt rather than try a long field goal.
But Jones came up big as did Moore, Mahomes and Butker in succession to punch another Super Bowl ticket.
"It was pure grit," Reid said.
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