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Four teams remain in the hunt for football's ultimate prize...the Lombardi Trophy. With the opening two rounds of the NFL Playoffs now in the books, this Sunday's Conference Championship battles will determine which two squads will earn spots in Super Bowl LVII.
After falling short in last year's Super Bowl, the Cincinnati Bengals are looking to make a return trip to the NFL's biggest stage. They will travel to Arrowhead Stadium this weekend to face the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Conference Championship game.
Let's take a look at how the Cincinnati Bengals got to this year's AFC Conference Championship game and why they can defeat the Chiefs to make the 2023 Super Bowl.
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How Did The Bengals Get Here?
Deep postseason runs are becoming old hat for the Bengals. Selecting Joe Burrow with the top pick of the 2020 NFL Draft has rejuvenated the long-moribund Cincinnati franchise and changed the trajectory of the organization. Burrow led the Bengals to a surprising Super Bowl appearance last season, ultimately losing a 23-20 nailbiter to the Los Angeles Rams.
Cincinnati opened 2022 with a classic "Super Bowl Hangover" by losing their first two games of the season. However, the Bengals battled through the sluggish start – as well as the month-long absence of superstar wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase due to a hip injury – to find truly dominant form and close the regular season with an eight-game winning streak.
Forced to face their divisional rivals in the opening round of the playoffs, the Bengals handled the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 27-16 in a tough contest. Cincinnati then went on the road to Buffalo and was surprisingly dominant in a 27-10 manhandling of the Bills in the snow.
Why The Bengals Will Make The Super Bowl
Including their two playoff victories, they've now won 10 games in a row and face a Kansas City Chiefs team that they defeated in last year's AFC Championship game and again during the regular season this year.
It's hard to overstate just how instrumental Burrow is for this team. Besides being uber-talented physically and finishing 2022 near the top of the NFL in passing yards and TDs, the player that won a National Championship while at LSU instills a calm confidence in his teammates through his play and leadership.
Obviously, Burrow is not a one-man show, as the addition of Ja'Marr Chase in 2021 to an offensive attack that already featured a blossoming receiver in Tee Higgins and a talented running back in Joe Mixon, has paid huge dividends. Chase has quickly proven himself to be an elite offensive force that can change an entire game in one play.
Solid contributions from dependable receiver Tyler Boyd, offseason tight end acquisition Hayden Hurst, and utility back Samaje Perine – as well as a retooled offensive line that continued to gel as the season progressed – helped Cincinnati to average over 26 points and 265 passing yards per game in 2022.
With so much star power on the offensive side of the ball, it's understandable that a Bengals defense that lacks its own name recognition might go overlooked.
However, this unit can't be ignored, as they finished the year ranked a rock-solid 11th in the NFL in Total Defense DVOA and have routinely answered the bell in challenging environments, most recently holding Josh Allen and the high-octane Buffalo Bills to just 10 points in a victory in the Divisional round.
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