KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes was forced to rely on his badly sprained right ankle rather than his strong right arm when the Kansas City Chiefs were desperately driving and beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 to win the AFC championship.
The All-Pro quarterback, missing three wide receivers to injuries and battered himself, took off on a third-down play near midfield. Mahomes strained to reach the first down marker he needed and was headed out of bounds when he was hit late.
Harrison Butker strode onto the field, sent a 45-yard kick through cold, gusting wind with 3 seconds to go, and put the Chiefs back in the Super Bowl for the third time in four years with a 23-20 victory.
Awaiting them is coach Andy Reid’s old team, the Eagles, featuring a brother-against-brother showdown between Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Philadelphia center Jason Kelce.
Mahomes threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns, even though he was missing three of his wide receivers to injuries by the end. Marquez Valdes-Scantling led with 116 yards and a touchdown, while Travis Kelce had seven catches for 78 yards and a score.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked five times and finished with 270 yards passing to go with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Bengals.
Super Bowl 57 is in two weeks in Phoenix, Arizona.