“Game’s not over, obviously. But it would be almost impossible for anyone to beat Mahomes and the Chiefs today. From any era.” @ProFootballTalk, January 30, 2022 at 2:44PM CST.
This tweet was sent out following the second quarter Travis Kelce touchdown, making this a 14-3 game. We all make mistakes; I bet the over on the Rams-49ers game and realized I am not “Caesar” as J.B. Smoove has reiterated to me so many times this NFL season.  
However, at 14-3, really?
I could better understand the justification of this tweet when the Chiefs had the ball on the one-yard line likely to score right before half, but like this tweet, Patrick Mahomes failed on that drive. What grew from that Bengals defense strop was resilience, something that started from an anti-hero himself.
Let’s rewind a couple plays. With 13 seconds in the first half, the Chiefs has a new set of downs on the 15-yard line of the Bengals.
Eli Apple gets beat again, although saves a touchdown by wrapping up Tyreek Hill in the process. The next play is well covered by the Bengals and Mahomes throws the pass away, stopping the clock with five seconds left. At this point, the offense could have left to the sidelines and taken the easy 3-points off of Butker’s leg, but got greedy in the process.
Pre-snap Tyreek Hill goes in motion right to left; Apple follows. Mahomes takes the snap and dumps to the motioning Tyreek in the flat and in space behind the line of scrimmage. Apple, playing his angle perfectly to the ball, is able to tackle Hill inbounds to let the clock wind to zero. This is the yang to Apple’s yin. He will make costly mistakes, but there will be one great play scattered throughout that keeps him suiting up on Sundays.
That is enough on him for the article.
What transpired over the second half of the game can be attributed to Joe Burrow’s poise and calm in these moments, and the Bengals defense almost shutting out the Chiefs. The Bengals offense mounted an 18-point comeback, tied for the largest in AFC Championship game history.
The Bengals defense was able to hold Mahomes to 83-yards and three points on seven drives during the second half and overtime. Nothing was working for the Chiefs at the start of their drives. Pass break ups and drops by the receivers stalled drives, while the Bengals defensive line was to apply pressure on Mahomes’ longer developing throws.
The Bengals dropped eight into coverage 45% of the time in the second half, something that Mahomes has struggled with all season. This has almost been the kryptonite to his game, as Mahomes has to rely on patience and dump plays underneath if the offense wants to get anything going.
Doubling Tyreek and Kelce —his two biggest weapons— led to contested catches and Mahomes being eight of 18 passing attempts in the second half and overtime, while throwing two interceptions.  
The first interception by DE BJ Hill set Burrow up with phenomenal field position, and led to the first playoff touchdown for Ja’Marr Chase and a tied ball game after a successful 2-point conversion.
The second was what cost the Chiefs their season.
Once the game was tied up, most fans outside of the Kansas City area were dreading the eventual coin flip. After last week’s walk-off win against Buffalo after winning the coin toss, everyone including Burrow winced when the Bengals Brandon Allen called heads, and the coin landed tails. Fans in Arrowhead erupted, thinking that there was a third trip to the Super Bowl about to happen.
Once the Chiefs received the opening kickoff of Overtime, it only took three plays for their hopes to be diminished.
Living and dying by what brought them to their success, on a 3rd and 10, Patrick Mahomes threw up a classic “F’ it, Tyreek is down there somewhere pass.” The Bengals, like they had during the second half, had Tyreek doubled with both safeties taking him on the play. A perfect pass break up by Jessie Bates, and being in the right place for Vonn Bell led to what ended up being a game-sealing interception for the Bengals.
Evan McPherson knocked through a 31-yard field goal, the cigars came out and the Bengals are headed to Los Angeles.
Joe Burrow and the Bengals have been doubted all season, and will be the underdogs as they face the LA Rams in their home stadium. Against Mathew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr., a similar defense approach could be justified. Stafford is prone to forcing throws into tight coverage, and this could be exploited by the Bengals.
Don’t count out Burrow.