ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Joe Burrow threw two touchdown passes, the Cincinnati defense swarmed Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen on a snow-slicked field and the Bengals advanced to their second straight AFC championship game with a 27-10 victory Sunday.
Damar Hamlin’s inspirational presence while watching the game from an end-zone suite was not enough to spark the Bills in a rematch of a regular-season game that was canceled Jan. 2 when the Bills safety went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field in Cincinnati.
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Instead, it was “Joe Cool” showing poise while playing in a persistent snowfall.
Burrow completed his first nine passes for 105 yards in leading the Bengals to a 14-0 lead after their first two possessions. Ja’Marr Chase opened the scoring with a 28-yard touchdown catch 3:20 into the game, followed by Burrow’s 15-yard touchdown throw to Hayden Hurst eight minutes later.
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Joe Mixon scored on a 1-yard run, and Evan McPherson hit field goals from 20 and 28 yards in a game the Bengals never trailed.
The Bengals advanced to consecutive AFC championship games for the first time in franchise history and again will travel to play the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bengals beat the Chiefs 27-24 to advance to last year’s Super Bowl, which they lost to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Bengals have won the last three meetings against the Chiefs, including a 27-24 victory last month. The Chiefs are making their fifth straight appearance in the AFC championship game after a 27-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday.
The Bills’ playoff run ended in the divisional round for a second straight season, including a 42-36 overtime loss to the Chiefs last year.
Had the Bills defeated the Bengals, the AFC championship would have been held in Atlanta next weekend because the Bills (13-3) finished the season a half-game behind the Chiefs (14-3) after their game against the Bengals was canceled.
Bengals: Travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs next Sunday in a rematch of last year’s AFC championship game.
Bills: Season over.
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Story Details
Date:Jan 22, 2023 5:09 PMSlug:AP-FBN-Bengals-BillsHeadline:Bengals return to AFC championship after 27-10 rout of BillsSource:APByline:By JOHN WAWROWCopyright:APDateline:ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.Words:380
