After 21 weeks of football, one team remains from the AFC and one from the NFC. While one game was a blowout, the other was a tight-knit race down to the final play. But who is advancing to the Super Bowl?
Philadelphia Eagles 31, San Francisco 49ers 7
This game was over after the second drive in the game. The Eagles started the game with a touchdown drive, with Miles Sander scoring from six yards out. The second drive saw the 49ers lose a fumble, where Haason Reddick strip-sacked Brock Purdy, tearing Purdy’s UCL in the process. Josh Johnson would enter the game, and from there, both defenses stepped it up, with five straight drives ending in punts. After that, the teams traded touchdowns, with the Eagles going into halftime up 21-7.
Josh Johnson suffered a concussion in the second half, and with the 49ers down both their quarterbacks and the Eagles looking to drain the clock, there were many rush attempts by both squads in the second half. The Eagles added a Jalen Hurts rushing touchdown and a field goal before the clock ran out on the 49ers, sending the Eagles to the Super Bowl.
Kansas City Chiefs 23, Cincinnati Bengals 20
Surprisingly, there were no touchdowns scored in the first quarter. The first touchdown came with 3:53 left in the second quarter when Patrick Mahomes found Travis Kelce on 4th & 1 to put the Chiefs up 13-3. The Bengals added a field goal to make it 13-6 going into halftime.
The majority of the action came in the second half of the game. Cincy began the second half with a touchdown when Joe Burrow found Tee Higgins to tie the game at 13. Kansas City answered immediately with a Patrick Mahomes touchdown pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Mahomes would fumble on the Chiefs’ next drive, allowing the Bengals to punch in a touchdown with Samaje Perine.
Kansas City’s next drive had some ref controversy, as they seemingly gave the Chiefs a redo on a third down incompletion after they tried to stop the play due to a clock error. On that redo, they called a penalty on the Bengals to give Kansas City a first down. The Chiefs would punt on this drive. The Chiefs started their final series close to midfield after a punt return by Skyy Moore. Patrick Mahomes would run for a first down but got an additional 15 yards after the refs called Joseph Ossai for a late hit, putting Kansas City in a position to hit the game-winning field goal from 45 yards.
Super Bowl LVII: Kansas City Chiefs at Philadelphia Eagles
Both these teams won controversial conference championship games. What would have happened if Brock Purdy never got hurt? Were the officials a factor in the Chiefs’ win over the Bengals?
Regardless, looking at records, the two best teams in the league have made it to the Super Bowl. This one has plenty of storylines.
Andy Reid faces off with his former team.
Travis and Jason Kelce will be on opposite sides.
Patrick Mahomes arguably stole Jalen Hurts’ MVP award.
Kansas City’s aerial assault faces off Philadelphia’s elite ground game. On paper, Philadelphia is the complete team, but Kansas City’s defense has stepped up in the playoffs. Can Patrick Mahomes get that elusive second championship, or will Jalen Hurts become a Philadelphia sports icon?
