Chiefs capture another AFC title behind Mahomes

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes was forced to rely on his badly sprained right ankle rather than his strong right arm when the Kansas City Chiefs were desperately driving with a chance to win the AFC championship.

The All-pro quarterback, missing three wide receivers to injuries and battered himself, took off on a thirddown play near midfield in another gut-check game with the Cincinnati Bengals. Mahomes strained to reach the mark he needed and was headed out of bounds when he felt the hands of Joseph

Ossai send him sprawling into the bench.

The mad dash, coupled with the 15-yard penalty for a late hit, was all Kansas City needed.

Harrison Butker strode confidently onto the field, sent a 45-yard kick through cold, gusting wind over the crossbar with 3 seconds to go, and put the Chiefs back in the Super

Bowl for the third time in four years with a 23-20 victory.

“I don't think we have any cigars,” Mahomes said with a smile, "but we'll be ready to go in the Super Bowl.”

It was vindication for the AFC West champions, who had lost three straight to their newfound nemeses, including a three-point overtime loss to Cincinnati in last year's conference title game. All of those defeats were by three points.

Now, the Chiefs are headed back to the big game.

Awaiting them is coach Andy Reid's old team, the Eagles, in the first matchup of Black quarterbacks in the Super Bowl with Mahomes and

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Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts. It will also feature a brotheragainst-brother showdown between Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Philadelphia center Jason Kelce.

“I've watched them all year," Mahomes said. “It's going to be a great challenge for us. But I'm going to celebrate this first.”