AFC Championship – Page 8 – Syndication Server

Joe Burrow’s dad posts funny pic of him in Chiefs helmet before AFC title game

Joe Burrow liked those red Chiefs helmets back in the day.

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Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals will visit the Kansas City Chiefs during Sunday’s AFC championship game.

As a way to funnily pass the time before his son goes into the unfriendly confines of Arrowhead Stadium, Jimmy Burrow decided to bring out some of the childhood receipts and provide a picture of Joe wearing a Chiefs helmet.

Joe’s obviously not a very big Chiefs fan anymore. Chiefs fans themselves felt that a bit in the Week 17 matchup in Cincinnati when Burrow outgunned Patrick Mahomes to the tune of 446 passing yards and four touchdowns.

After, Mahomes told Burrow the Chiefs and Bengals would meet again in the playoffs — and he was right.

Here’s the picture:

Joe use to like those shiny red chiefs helmets . Not anymore . Geaux Bengals . pic.twitter.com/dqijN5u9ST

— Jimmy Burrow (@CoachBurrow) January 28, 2022

When your favorite childhood team becomes your rival 😤 @JoeyB

(via @CoachBurrow) pic.twitter.com/vBuXqnwNJM

— ESPN (@espn) January 28, 2022

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4 reasons Bengals will beat Chiefs, win AFC championship

Here’s why the Bengals could advance to the Super Bowl.

We’re just mere days away from the Cincinnati Bengals playing in their first AFC Championship Game in 33 years, as they travel to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the two-time reigning AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs are easily the favorites in this one. But here we’ve learned not to count out the Bengals in any fashion this season, especially over the last few weeks. Here are a few reasons why the Bengals, not the Chiefs, will be hosting the Lamar Hunt Trophy on Sunday.

NFL Picks: Office pool pick’em – Conference Championships

Use our staff’s weekly pick’em against the spread and straight up for the win.

The Huddle staff makes its weekly NFL game picks every Thursday.

NFL picks are provided for straight up (moneyline) and against the spread (ATS) NFL pick pools.

Each week’s spread picks are graded by the line as of when the person entered their picks. This will create situations in which a movement of the line can result in two participants having the correct pick but with different teams chosen during an individual game.

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook … If you’re in CO or NJ, place all of your legal, online sports wagers with Tipico Sportsbook.

NFL Conference Championships picks: Moneyline & Against the spread

Season-to-date results: Moneyline

Congratulations to Ken Pomponio for winning the season-long results for straight-up picks.

Note: Playoff picks will not count toward the season-long or all-time results tracker.

Season-to-date results: Against the spread

Pomponio also won the ATS pick challenge for the 2021-22 NFL season.

NFL all-time picks leaderboard: Moneyline

Note: Playoff picks will not count toward the season-long or all-time results tracker.

Straight Up	DMD	SG	KP	HS	CC	CJB	HCG
2021 Record	167-104-1	159-112-1	179-92-1	176-95-1	175-96-1	176-95-1	174-97-1
2020 Record	161-94-1	161-94-1	165-90-1	164-91-1	174-81-1	166-89-1	172-83-1
2019 Record	162-93-1	156-99-1	161-94-1	161-94-1	164-91-1	157-98-1	163-92-1
2018 Record	167-87-2	158-96-2	179-75-2	153-101-2	165-89-2	157-97-2	n/a
2017 Record	168-88	161-95	171-85	165-91	180-76	160-96	n/a
2016 Record	157-97-2	149-105-2	156-98-2	152-102-2	156-98-2	139-115-2	n/a
2015 Record	154-102	137-119	156-100	155-101	165-91	n/a	n/a
2014 Record	166-89-1	158-97-1	164-91-1	163-92-1	177-78-1	n/a	n/a
2013 Record	163-92-1	160-95-1	170-85-1	153-102-1	n/a	n/a	n/a
Accuracy entering 2022	1,465-846-9 (63.1%)	1,399-912-9 (60.3%)	1,501-801-9 (64.7%)	1,442-869-9 (62.2%)	1,356-700-8 (65.7%)	955-590-7 (61.5%)	509-272-3 (64.9%)

NFL all-time picks leaderboard: Against the spread

ATS	DMD	SG	KP	HS	CC	CJB	HCG
2021 Record	141-130-1	142-129-1	154-117-1	136-135-1	152-119-1	143-128-1	151-120-1
2020 Record	118-138	122-134	123-133	129-127	130-126	143-113	130-126
2019 Record	121-135	133-123	133-123	139-117	121-135	137-119	139-117
2018 Record	132-124	131-125	145-111	133-123	132-124	130-126	n/a
2017 Record	129-127	136-120	135-121	132-124	136-120	131-125	n/a
2016 Record	110-146	125-131	127-129	124-132	132-124	127-129	n/a
2015 Record	125-131	121-135	126-130	123-133	141-115	n/a	n/a
2014 Record	122-134	124-132	143-113	132-124	123-133	n/a	n/a
2013 Record	115-136-5	119-132-5	117-134-5	117-134-5	n/a	n/a	n/a
Accuracy entering 2022	1,113-1,201-6 (48.1%)	1,153-1,161-6 (50.7%)	1,203-1,111-6 (51.9%)	1,165-1,149-6 (50.2%)	1,067-996-1 (51.7%)	811-740-1 (52.3%)	420-363-1 (54.1%)

DMD – David Dorey, SG – Steve Gallo, KP – Ken Pomponio, HS – Harley Schultz, CC – Cletis Cutts, CJB – Cory Bonini, HCG – HC Green

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Bengals issue second injury report before AFC title game vs. Chiefs

The Bengals issued their second injury report before the AFC title game against the Chiefs.

It’s hard to get much healthier for a championship weekend than the Cincinnati Bengals going into Sunday’s showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Those Bengals, after a loud practice on Wednesday, issued Thursday’s injury report and everything remained the same as the day prior:

Cam Sample, DNP
Stanley Morgan,
Josh Tupou, LP
Joe Burrow, FP
Tee Higgins, FP

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor had previously said guys like Tupou would have light weeks and be easier to predict closer to Sunday, but things don’t sound overly concerning.

Of note: Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins were on the first injury report of the week by formality alone, per league rules, so there’s nothing to monitor on their front.

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Bengals vs. Chiefs predictions: How experts pick playoff game so far

Who do experts see winning Bengals vs. Chiefs in the playoffs?

The Cincinnati Bengals have a chance to advance to the Super Bowl if they can overcome the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s AFC title game.

To do so, they’ll have to overcome Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs for the second time this season.

In the first encounter on January 2, the teams played in Cincinnati and the Bengals won 34-31 behind 446 passing yards and four touchdowns from Joe Burrow, with Ja’Marr Chase erupting for 266 receiving yards and three scores.

The rematch, of course, goes down at Arrowhead Stadium. Here’s how experts have made their picks so far in what should be one of the most interesting games of the year.

Bengals security had to apologize for how loud PBS is while team preps for AFC title game

It’s loud at Paul Brown Stadium this week.

The Cincinnati Bengals are doing everything they can to make sure the players are ready for Arrowhead Stadium during Sunday’s AFC championship game.

That includes practicing out in temperatures well below freezing on Wednesday with simulated crown noise pumping through Paul Brown Stadium.

Arrowhead Stadium is, after all, one of the loudest places on the planet during a Chiefs home game, which probably gets turned up a notch during the playoffs.

And crowd noise, at least in part, played a role in Joe Burrow taking nine sacks during his team’s divisional round win over the Tennessee Titans to make it to this point.

ESPN’s Michele Steele even said Bengals security apologized to passerby for the disturbance:

Other takeaways from practice aside from the emphasis on non-verbal communication: CONFIDENCE, they've moved on from "why not us" to "it IS us", and COLD, they were practicing w/ temps in the teens. 45 degrees Sunday is going to feel straight up TROPICAL. #Bengals #RuleTheJungle

— Michele Steele (@MicheleSteele) January 26, 2022

Whether this sort of prep works could decide if the team heads to the Super Bowl or starts thinking about things like the draft.

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Bengals: Best quotes and moments from AFC championship media day

Some of the best quotes and moments before Bengals vs. Chiefs in the AFC championship game.

Cincinnati Bengals stars and coaches had plenty of interesting things to say and moments that unfolded during AFC championship Wednesday ahead of the team’s AFC title game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Considered one of the biggest media events of the year besides Super Bowl media week, the event saw plenty of the team’s biggest names involved.

Joe Burrow was there, of course. Ja’Marr Chase chatted about how Les Miles thought he should play cornerback, not wide receiver. Burrow also noted how his headset died during the win over the Titans and forced him to call his own plays.

That, plus more that we’ll chronicle below as the team preps for Sunday’s showdown in Kansas City. Here are the top moments as the team has eyes on a possible Super Bowl berth.

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Bengals vs. Chiefs playoff x-factor: Ja’Marr Chase putting up 100 yards

When Ja’Marr Chase reaches 100 yards, the Bengals tend to win.

It’s usually a good sign when your best offensive weapon on the outside is consistently reaching 100 yards in a game. Fortunately for the Cincinnati Bengals, they have gotten that luxury with WR Ja’Marr Chase.

Chase has reached 100 yards in a game seven times this season, including the playoffs. The Bengals have won six of those seven games. The only loss was the overtime loss in Week 5 against the Packers.

Including the playoffs, Chase has topped 100 yards in four of the last five games, including the historic 266-yard performance against the Chiefs in Week 17. He became the first rookie in NFL history to have multiple 100-yard receiving games in a single postseason. He recorded 116 yards against the Raiders and 109 yards against the Titans.

If Chase gets to 100 yards again versus the Chiefs, the Bengals can very well hang with the Chiefs again and could be on their way to Super Bowl LVI.

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Memorable moments from 1988, the last time the Bengals began a run to an AFC Championship Game

The Cincinnati Bengals won the AFC Championship game after the 1988 season. What else happened in the world that year?

Bengals vs. Chiefs info on Bill Vinovich’s officiating crew for AFC title game

Some info on the officiating crew for the Bengals vs. Chiefs AFC championship game.

The identity of the man who will be in charge of the AFC Championship between the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs has been unveiled, and it is someone the Bengals are pretty familiar with this season.

Bill Vinovich, one of the top officials in the game, will be in Kansas City to call the game. According to Football Zebras, Vinovich will be the first referee since Jerry Markbreit from 1989-1996 to work either a conference championship or a Super Bowl in seven out of eight postseasons.

The certified public accountant from Lake Forest, CA has been a referee for 13 seasons and an official for 16 seasons. This will be Vinovich’s 16th postseason assignment and his sixth conference championship. He has also worked three wild card playoffs, five divisional playoffs and two Super Bowls (XLIX and LIV).

Vinovich has worked three Bengals games this season: Week 5 against the Packers, Week 12 against the Steelers and Week 18 against the Browns.

Road teams went 9-7 in the regular season under Vinovich’s watch. The Bengals were 1-2 in the three games in which they had him, the win being in Week 12 against the Steelers. Of course, the Bengals didn’t play their starters much in Week 18 and came very close to knocking off the Packers.

The rest of the crew for Sunday’s AFC tilt:

Umpire – Fred Bryan
Down Judge – Ed Camp
Line Judge – Jeff Seeman
Field Judge – Mearl Robinson
Side Judge – Jonah Monroe
Back Judge – Greg Meyer
Replay Official – Mark Butterworth
Replay Assistant – Larry Hanson

There will also be an alternate for each on-field position. The alternate referee will be Shawn Hochuli, who just worked the Buccaneers-Rams Divisional Playoff.

Carl Cheffers, who has also worked two Super Bowls (LI and LV) will officiate the NFC Championship between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers and Clete Blakeman, who just worked Bengals-Titans, will be the alternate referee.

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