The Bengals, after going 6-25-1 the previous two seasons and ending on the backside of the A.F.C. North final season after Burrow tore knee ligaments in Week 11, seized on his unflappable nonchalance to rampage by the convention bracket. Afterward, he mentioned he was extra stunned that certainly one of his favourite rappers, Child Cudi, had contacted him — and that LeBron James, another Ohio native, had congratulated him in a Twitter post — than at Sunday’s final result.
“That half is surreal,” Burrow mentioned. “The soccer half, not a lot.”
Burrow spoke about an hour after dealing Mahomes his first playoff loss to a group quarterbacked by somebody apart from Tom Brady. He wore all black and, oh sure, that pendant.
“They’re undoubtedly actual,” Burrow mentioned, smiling, of the gems that spelled JB9 on his chest. “I make an excessive amount of cash to have pretend ones, so these are actual.”
And so was every thing else that transpired over 3 hours and 14 minutes of unadulterated mayhem. Kansas Metropolis’s three touchdowns in three drives to begin the sport. The dexterous interception by the defensive sort out B.J. Hill that positioned the Bengals for the tying rating late within the third quarter, Burrow’s 2-yard, back-shoulder cross to his former Louisiana State teammate Ja’Marr Chase. The throngs of Cincinnati followers, carrying Bengal-striped shawls and jerseys of heroes previous and current, that congregated within the decrease bowl to observe the presentation of the A.F.C. championship trophy, named for Lamar Hunt, the founder and unique proprietor of the Kansas Metropolis franchise.
After an uneven starting to the season, Kansas Metropolis had dropped just one recreation since Halloween — a 34-31 defeat to the Bengals in Cincinnati on Jan. 2 — and precedent urged that Sunday would proffer the other consequence. During the last three years, it had gained all 5 rematches towards groups it misplaced to earlier within the season, whereas scoring greater than 39 factors per recreation.
The latest payback occurred at this identical venue final week, when Kansas Metropolis kindled an absurd comeback — a three-play, 44-yard, 13-second subject aim drive — to tie Buffalo on the finish of regulation earlier than successful the divisional-round recreation in extra time.