We are headed to overtime in the AFC Championship game.
For a moment, it looked like the Kansas City Chiefs were going to win in regulation, as Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense drove deep into Cincinnati Bengals’ territory and faced a 1st and goal from inside the ten-yard line.
But then, a pair of sacks from the Bengals defense — or a pair of head-scratching decisions from Mahomes depending on your point of view — saw the Chiefs need to settle for a field goal on the final play of regulation to set up the extra frame.
After a Jedrick McKinnon run on first down, the Chiefs faced a 2nd and goal from the Cincinnati four-yard line. Kansas City put the football in Mahomes’ hands, while the Bengals brought just four after the quarterback:
Mahomes tried everything on this play
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📱: https://t.co/dKNUFkxkbU pic.twitter.com/9eJRpg39ZK— NFL (@NFL) January 30, 2022
After trying in vain to make something happen against the four-man rush, Mahomes eventually runs out of time and the Chiefs are forced into a third-down situation.
On that third down, the Bengals called for a three-man rush with Sam Hubbard serving as a spy on the quarterback. Hubbard executes the play call to perfection, getting to Mahomes for the sack and nearly sending the Bengals to the Super Bowl when he forces the fumble:
WOWOWOWOW. #NFLPlayoffs
📺: #CINvsKC on CBS
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Hubbard stays in the spy technique during the early part of the play, but when he sees Mahomes start to move in the pocket and a crease develop, Hubbard crashes downhill to attack the passer. He gets to Mahomes and punches the football free, but the quarterback manages to secure the loose ball and avoid complete disaster.
The Chiefs did manage to tie the game and force overtime. But if the Bengals are to advance to the Super Bowl, this two-play sequence will have played a huge role in the effort.
