KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — The Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals will meet again in their second straight AFC Championship game.
This will be the Chiefs’ fifth consecutive AFC Championship game as the home team.
It will also be the fourth time in the past year that these teams will be matched up with dynamic offense firepower led by Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow.
Mahomes may not be the same quarterback he usually is since he suffered a high ankle sprain against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Divisional Round.
Despite his injury, he is almost assuredly going to win his second MVP at the end of the season for good reason.
5,250 passing yards with 41 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this season for the 27-year-old quarterback who has taken over the league ever since he started his first NFL game.
26-year-old Joe Burrow isn’t far behind; 4,475 yards, 35 TDs and 12 interceptions this season in his second full season as a starter.
In the past three matchups, Burrow has had the Chiefs’ number.
| Joe Burrow | Head-to-Head Career | Patrick Mahomes |
| 3 | Wins | 0 |
| 72.2 | Completion % | 67.3 |
| 327.3 | Passing Yards/game | 252.3 |
| 8-1 | TD-INT ratio | 6-2 |
That includes the last Chiefs-Bengals Week 13 matchup in Cincinnati when Burrow only threw six incompletions and two touchdowns to go with 286 yards.
Mahomes was 16 for 27 with 223 yards and a touchdown.
Since that loss, the Chiefs have won six straight with the defense putting up a few solid performances along the way.
The Bengals have won 10 straight games since losing to the Cleveland Browns in October including the no-contest regular season game against the Buffalo Bills.
Their top weapons are having stellar years as well.
Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase has had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons along with nine touchdowns this year.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has 110 catches this season with 1,338 yards and 12 TDs while setting several milestones along the way.
Bengals players said they have been inspired by the potential of a neutral site AFC Championship if the Bills would have won the Divisional Round game.
With that possibility gone, lots of headlines will be surrounding Burrow and Mahomes and his injury all week long.
It will be a loaded week of hype before the game on Sunday.
