NFL: Bills suffer blow in the snow as Bengals progress to another AFC Championship Game

Buffalo, New York - The Cincinnati Bengals will again play the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game after going to the Buffalo Bills and winning 27-10 in the NFL Divisional round on Sunday.

Cincinnati Bengals players celebrate during their Divisional round win against the Buffalo Bills.
Cincinnati Bengals players celebrate during their Divisional round win against the Buffalo Bills.  © USA TODAY Sports

The Bengals went to their third Super Bowl last year after upsetting the Chiefs in the conference title game, and they will get the opportunity to repeat that feat next week.

Damar Hamlin, recovering after his cardiac arrest in the regular season meeting between the teams, was in the building to see the Bills, but Joe Burrow kept his cool with a clinical display in snowy conditions to cut short Buffalo's season.

The Bengals had made a bright start to that Week 17 game before it was halted and did so again in this encounter, taking control before the end of the first quarter.

Burrow completed his first nine passes across two drives for 105 yards and two touchdowns – including a 28-yard TD pass to Ja'Marr Chase – while the Bills had to wait until the second quarter for a first down.

That belated drive ended with Josh Allen running in to score, before a second Chase TD was taken off the board following a marginal review.

But a Bengals challenge after halftime resulted in a Joe Mixon TD when he was initially adjudged to have been halted at the goal line following a six-minute drive, and the lead was out to 17 points early in the fourth quarter.

Still, Allen could not get the Bills offense to fire, with his last desperate effort an interception thrown to Cam Taylor-Britt to seal the Bengals' 10th straight win.

Cover photo: USA TODAY Sports

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