Caleb HarrisThe 2022 NFL conference championship week did not disappoint, as both teams that were down by halftime were able to rally from behind to take their teams to a Super Bowl. The NFL playoffs this year have been full of shocking endings, upset victories and an unlikely Super Bowl matchup that no one could have expected.
Cincinnati Bengals 27 – Kansas City Chiefs 24
Starting with the AFC Conference Championship pitted the No. 2 Kansas City Chiefs led by superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the unlikely No. 4 Cincinnati Bengals, led by second-year quarterback Joe Burrow.
For the first time in over 30 years, the Bengals won a playoff game, reached a conference championship game, and they will be making their first Super Bowl appearance.
The matchup was a rematch of a regular season game that saw the Bengals come out on top 34-31. The Bengals were overwhelming underdogs in this matchup and they were down by as much as 21-3.
Slowly but surely, the Bengals would start to claw their way back until the game was tied at 21-21, with the Bengal defense shutting out the Chiefs’ offense in the third quarter. A fourth quarter split would have the score at 24-24, which would force overtime.
In overtime, the Bengals stopped the Chiefs on their first possession, which led to Burrow driving the ball to set up the game-winning field goal. When his number was called, Evan McPherson delivered the 31-yard kick that would send his Bengals to the Super Bowl.
McPherson has been clutch for his team in both upset wins against No. 1 Titans as well as the No. 2 Chiefs.
San Francisco 49ers 17 – Los Angeles Rams 20
An equally impressive championship pitted bitter NFC West rivals the Los Angeles Rams against the San Francisco 49ers, hosted by the Rams at the brand-new SoFi stadium, which will also host Super Bowl 56.
The No. 7 Niners were coming in with six straight wins against the Rams, including an 18 point comeback to force themselves into the playoffs and send the Rams down to No. 4.
There was little action in the first quarter, but the second quarter is where things began to heat up. The Niners would build up a 10 point lead going into the fourth quarter, making the game 17-7, but the Rams would soon claw their way back into the game.
The Rams defense got loose on Niners quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, putting pressure on him constantly throughout the quarter and ultimately held them to zero points in the fourth.
The Rams sealed the deal when Garoppolo attempted a pass to running back JaMycal Hasty while out of the pocket to avoid the sack, but linebacker Travin Howard caught the tipped pass and returned it deep in the red zone, effectively ending any hope of a comeback victory.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 331 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, while Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckam Jr. both went for over 100 yards receiving. The Rams needed every playmaker possible to step up and send them to the big game, and that is what they did.
The Rams will meet the Cincinnati Bengals in their home stadium Feb. 13 at 5:30 p.m. CST for the biggest game in North America, the Super Bowl.
Rebel Recap
Mike Hilton CB Cincinnati Bengal – 3 combined tackles
D.J Jones DT San Francisco 49ers – 3 combined tackles
