KANSAS CITY, MO – JANUARY 29: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) heads out of bounds in the last seconds of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 29th, 2023 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire) 
KANSAS CITY, MO – JANUARY 29: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) holds up the championship trophy after the game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 29th, 2023 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire) 
KANSAS CITY, MO – JANUARY 29: Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid accepts the Lamar Hunt trophy after the game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 29th, 2023 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire) 
KANSAS CITY, MO – JANUARY 29: Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) sacks Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) during the first half of the AFC Championship Game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs on January 29, 2023 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire) 
KANSAS CITY, MO – JANUARY 29: Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) runs the ball after a reception during the first half of the AFC Championship Game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs on January 29, 2023 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire) 
KANSAS CITY, MO – JANUARY 29: Kansas City Chiefs place kicker Harrison Butker (7) celebrates after a field goal in the last moments of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 29th, 2023 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire) 
KANSAS CITY, MO – JANUARY 29: Clark Hunt CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs accepts the Lamar Hunt trophy after the game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 29th, 2023 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire) 
KANSAS CITY, MO – JANUARY 29: Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) reacts during an interview after the game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 29th, 2023 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire)
Patrick Mahomes scrambled right on a badly sprained ankle. Needing 4 yards on third down, Mahomes somehow got past the first down marker then was shoved in the back while out of bounds.
A late-hit penalty moved the ball ahead, setting up a 45-yard field goal by Harrison Butker that gave the Chiefs a 23-20 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC championship game Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
“Throughout the game I just try to do whatever I can to win,” Mahomes said. “There, I was able to do enough on that last play to get the first down and get out of bounds and get the win. I was going to do whatever I could to get us in field goal range, and Harrison made the kick.”
Mahomes, who suffered a high-ankle sprain last week against Jacksonville but didn’t even miss practice this week, completed 29 of 43 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns.
By game’s end, Mahomes was down three receivers as JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee), Mecole Hardman (pelvis) and Kadarius Toney (ankle) all went out with injuries. But in the end, it didn’t matter as Mahomes and Travis Kelce willed the team to victory yet again.
“He was pure grit,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “He and Kelce. But for Pat to do what he did and have that run at the end I can’t say enough. He is the MVP in my eyes.”
Marquez Valdes-Scantling came up big, catching six passes for 116 yards and a touchdown while Kelce caught seven passes for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco rushed for just 26 yards on 10 carries but caught five passes for 59 yards out of the backfield.
The Chiefs defense picked off two Joe Burrow passes and also got him to the ground, sacking him five times, including two by Chris Jones.
Jones had a sack in the first quarter but his sack late in the fourth forced Cincinnati to punt, setting up another Mahomes’ game-winning drive, which was sparked by a 29-yard punt return from Skyy Moore.
The Chiefs had lost their previous three games to the Bengals, including last year’s AFC title game at Arrowhead, which prompted the Bengals players to start calling Arrowhead “Burrowhead.”
The Chiefs heard that loud and clear and did something about it Sunday, earning their third trip to the Super Bowl in four years.
“The guys were probably the most pumped up I’ve seen them going into a football game,” Mahomes said.
The Chiefs will play the Philadelphia Eagles at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 12 in Glendale, Ariz. Reid, of course, coached the Eagles for 14 seasons before he became coach of the Chiefs.
“I can’t wait until Kansas City and Philly clash,” Reid said. “What a great Super Bowl it’ll be.”
