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HomeSportsBengals vs. Chiefs live score, updates, highlights from 2023 AFC championship game

Bengals vs. Chiefs live score, updates, highlights from 2023 AFC championship game

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The Chiefs are out for revenge against the Bengals, who stunned the football world by overcoming an 18-point deficit and winning at Arrowhead Stadium in last year’s AFC title game. 

While Kansas City is hosting the game for the fifth consecutive year, the Chiefs have had to fight for their status as favorites. With Patrick Mahomes battling through a high-ankle sprain, oddsmakers and the nation seem split on which team should be favored heading into the latest showdown between two of the game’s brightest young talents.

Joe Burrow and the Bengals are coming off a statement win over the Bills in the divisional round. Playing in snowy conditions, Cincinnati controlled the game in all facets despite entering as an underdog.

MORE: Bengals sticking with underdog mantra ahead of AFC championship vs. Chiefs: ‘They’re still the team to beat’

The Bengals have thrived on the idea that they’re being overlooked, calling out the NFL for touting ticket sales for a Bills vs. Chiefs AFC championship that never happened. Whether they’re favored or not, the Bengals are certainly going into Kansas City with a chip on their shoulder.

The Chiefs are aiming to avoid a second consecutive AFC championship exit, which would be a major disappointment after they snagged the top seed in the conference. A win would send Kansas City to the Super Bowl for the third time in four years.

The Bengals, on the other hand, are looking to return to the Super Bowl for the second consecutive year and complete last season’s unfinished business.

MORE: Watch Bengals vs. Chiefs live with fuboTV (free trial)

The Sporting News is tracking live scoring updates and highlights as the Chiefs host the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game. Follow along for all of the key moments.

Bengals vs. Chiefs score

   1   2   3   4   F 
Bengals 0 6 7 7
Chiefs 3 10 7

Bengals vs. Chiefs live updates, highlights from 2023 AFC championship

(All times Eastern)

Chiefs 20, Bengals 20

9:15 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Perine muscles forward on 2nd Down for the score. We have a tie game with 13:30 remaining. It’s 20-20 after the gutsy play-call by Taylor.

9:14 p.m. — Oh man. Zac Taylor opts to go for it on 4th & 6, and Burrow finds Chase at the 6-yard line for a 35-yard gain. He was covered by two defenders and was simply the better player.

End of third quarter: Chiefs 20, Bengals 13

9:10 p.m. — What a wasted opportunity by the Bengals, who pick up a grand total of four yards on that drive. It’s 4th & 6.

9:08 p.m. FUMBLE — Wow, the snap gets past Mahomes and is picked up by Sam Hubbard. Just like the wild card game against the Ravens, Hubbard comes up with an absolutely massive turnover.

9:07 p.m. — The Chiefs are threatening to take full control of this game as they pick up another first down. Kelce is up to 78 yards today despite the injury.

9:03 p.m. — Valdes-Scantling continues to dominate this game, getting wide open for a 25-yard gain on 3rd & 7.

9:01 p.m. — The Bengals are punting after Burrow’s pass to Higgins was broken up by McDuffie. It feels like Cincinnati needs a stop here. Can’t fall behind by two possessions in the second half in Kansas City.

8:59 p.m. — A big gain by Ja’Marr Chase is negated by a holding penalty. The Bengals’ drive is quickly on ice at 3rd & 17.

Chiefs 20, Bengals 13

8:55 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Mahomes fits it in a tight window and finds Valdes-Scantling on the ground in the end zone. The Chiefs take advantage on 3rd & 10 and have the lead again.

8:53 p.m. — Mahomes initially looks like he gets the ball to Pacheco instead of taking a sack and picks up a few bonus yards, but his shin was down. That’s a sack for Sam Hubbard, the Bengals’ second of the night.

8:52 p.m. — The Chiefs’ challenge is successful. First down, Kansas City.

8:48 p.m. — Here comes 4th & 1 for the Chiefs… Valdes-Scantling gets close to the first down marker but doesn’t get there. The Chiefs are challenging the spot.

8:47 p.m. — The Chiefs face a critical 3rd & 7 here. They should be in Butker’s range here, but they don’t want to have to settle for a field goal a third time.

8:45 p.m. — Huge catch-and-run by Valdes-Scantling, who got some big blocks. He takes the Chiefs 26 yards down the field.

8:41 p.m. — Nice first down pass by Mahomes to Mecole Hardman. Hardman is down, though, and Mahomes is limping along after the play.

8:40 p.m. — Big pass breakup by Cam Taylor-Britt, who was hoping for the interception. Third down coming for Kansas City.

Chiefs 13, Bengals 13

8:34 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — An outstanding catch by Tee Higgins on 3rd & 6! Higgins was covered decently, but he uses his size to go up and grab the pass from Burrow. Tie game. 

8:31 p.m. — Chiefs LB Willie Gay Jr. is down and in pain, so we’re headed for a brief pause.

8:29 p.m. — The Chiefs’ defense had a big opportunity on third down, but a designed run up the middle by Burrow gives the Bengals a first down and more. Cincinnati is in field goal range but wants more this time.

8:28 p.m. — The Bengals are quickly over midfield early in this drive. Burrow comes under pressure on a first down but wisely runs forward to pick up two yards.

8:23 p.m. — Cincinnati’s defense picks up a quick stop to open the second half as Mahomes overshoots on a downfield shot. That was needed. 

8:22 p.m. — The Bengals are without Tyler Boyd entering the second half. He limped off after a big first down catch in the first half.

End of first half: Chiefs 13, Bengals 6

8:06 p.m. FIELD GOAL — The Bengals are forced to attempt a field goal with four seconds remaining. That’s a very disappointing finish to the half after a great drive, especially considering the Chiefs open the second half with the ball. One-possession game.

8:04 p.m. — Great grab by Higgins for 21 yards, but he is kept in-bounds. The Chiefs are five yards away from the end zone with limited time.

8:03 p.m. — Tee Higgins picks up the first down with a catch near midfield. The Bengals use their final timeout, so they’re thinking touchdown here. 32 seconds left.

8:00 p.m. — Mixon converts a 3rd & 1 for the Bengals. Cincinnati has 39 seconds and one timeout to work with as they approach field goal range. It’ll be interesting to see how aggressive they are here.

7:57 p.m. — A wild sequence here as Bryan Cook thought he broke up a third down pass to Hayden Hurst but hit him too early. If that wasn’t a penalty, it would’ve been an interception by Juan Thornhill who caught it off the deflection. 20-yard penalty by the Chiefs.

7:52 p.m. TWO-MINUTE WARNING — The Bengals open this drive from their own 4-yard line with a two-yard run. They’ll have two minutes to go 94 yards if they want to find the end zone.

7:51 p.m. — The Chiefs can’t capitalize on the opportunity as Mahomes tosses three incompletions. Kansas City is punting instead of attempting a 57-yard field goal with Butker.

7:46 p.m. INTERCEPTION — Burrow is picked off by Jaylen Watson, and the Chiefs will start with strong field position. This is a complete mess for the Bengals so far. 

Chiefs 13, Bengals 3

7:41 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — On 4th & 1, Mahomes stays patient and finds Kelce in the end zone. The Chiefs finally turn a red zone opportunity into a touchdown and are in front by double-digits.

7:39 p.m. — Mahomes is taken down for no gain on 3rd & 1, but it sure looks like the Chiefs are going for it. No surprise.

7:37 p.m. — The Chiefs are rolling right now. After back-to-back first downs, Marquez Valdes-Scantling catches a downfield pass for 29 yards. Kansas City is approaching the red zone.

7:33 p.m. — Everything feels like a chore for the Bengals’ offense right now, but the raw talent of Burrow and his receivers is what has allowed Cincinnati to gather some momentum. Let’s see if the Bengals can establish some kind of running game the rest of the way.

Chiefs 6, Bengals 3

7:31 p.m. FIELD GOAL — McPherson drills a 30-yard attempt. He’s had some success in this building before. Bengals can’t take full advantage of the red zone opportunity but have something to show for it.

7:30 p.m. — A well-covered Hayden Hurst can’t come up with a third down pass by Burrow in the end zone. Great throw, but the Bengals will have to try a field goal.

7:28 p.m. — Another big gain by Boyd. He’s doing a terrific job against McDuffie and suddenly has the Bengals in the red zone.

7:26 p.m. — Wow, tremendous job by Tyler Boyd to shake off McDuffie and get open for a first down catch. The Bengals badly needed that.

7:26 p.m. — Burrow gets sacked for a fourth time, this time by George Karlaftis. He had some time there but couldn’t find an open receiver. That one happened in slow motion.

7:24 p.m. — Samaje Perine, who dominated the Chiefs in Week 13, muscles forward for a key first down.

Chiefs 6, Bengals 0

7:19 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Butker drills the 24-yard attempt to extend the Chiefs’ lead. The Bengals’ defense has held up well enough, but Cincinnati is playing with fire.

End of first quarter: Chiefs 3, Bengals 0

7:15 p.m. — Mahomes is pressured and completes to Kelce on 3rd & Goal, but it’s too short to think about going for it. Butker is coming on for another field goal attempt, this one from even shorter range.

7:12 p.m. — Pacheco rumbled into the end zone, but a holding call on Andrew Wylie brings it all back…

7:11 p.m. — McKinnon has the Chiefs inside the Bengals’ 10-yard line. Big opportunity here.

7:10 p.m. — That’s an interesting one. Kelce grabs a first down and then tries a designed lateral to Jerick McKinnon, but McKinnon can’t come up with it and has to land on it.

7:08 p.m. — Mecole Hardman just barely gets a first down on 3rd & 1. The Chiefs are inching into field goal range and hoping for more than just three points.

7:07 p.m. — Pacheco has a big role early on. He goes for 18 yards on a catch-and-run, and the Bengals are having a hard time taking advantage of Mahomes’ limitations so far.

7:02 p.m. — Burrow takes ANOTHER sack on 3rd & 18. The Bengals’ offense is completely out of sync, and the Chiefs are set to start their next drive with strong field position.

7:00 p.m. — Burrow is sacked again. What many thought would be a problem last week is becoming a problem this time around. The Bengals need to protect the quarterback better if they’re going to win.

6:59 p.m. — Nice return for the Bengals, who will start near their own 40-yard line.

Chiefs 3, Bengals 0

6:57 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Harrison Butker, reliable as always, sends one through from 43 yards. The Chiefs are in front, but the Bengals are fortunate Toney couldn’t hang onto that ball.

6:56 p.m. — The ruling stands. No touchdown, and that seems to be the right call based on the way the ball moves underneath Toney. The Chiefs will attempt a field goal.

6:52 p.m. — Wow, it looked like Kadarius Toney might’ve come down with a touchdown, but it’s ruled incomplete… This is going to be challenged by the Chiefs. This one is tough to see. The ball was stuck underneath Toney.

6:51 p.m. — Back-to-back 16-yard gains for the Chiefs, first on a run along the sideline by Isiah Pacheco and now with a catch by Kelce.

6:50 p.m. — Clark has made his mark in the playoffs. He’s now third in playoff history with 13 sacks.

6:48 p.m. — Kansas City heavily pressures Burrow, and Frank Clark comes up with the sack. The Bengals will punt, and they lost a lot of field position on these two plays.

6:47 p.m. — A false start backs the Bengals up on third down. Meanwhile, Sneed was able to walk off and is in the tent.

6:44 p.m. — Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed is down with what appears to be  a head or neck injury. Didn’t look good. That would be a blow to Kansas City’s secondary.

6:43 p.m. — Burrow looks Chase’s way again but is VERY lucky he wasn’t intercepted by Trent McDuffie. That was almost a huge play.

6:42 p.m. — Burrow’s first two passes go to Chase, and the second goes for a first down. Chase got wide open there.

6:39 p.m. — The Bengals will start with the ball. They scored 3 first half points in this game last year and will have a chance to beat that on the first drive.

6:33 p.m. — We’re still a few minutes away from kickoff. Everyone seems to be bundled up, and Kelce’s back issue will be worth monitoring in this cold.

6:24 p.m. — We’re inching closer to kickoff… Something to keep in mind: The Bengals started slow in last year’s AFC title game but made excellent defensive adjustments after halftime. An early deficit won’t bury Cincinnati, even if it’s less than ideal against Mahomes.

6:16 p.m. — Joe Burrow went into Kansas City and shocked the Chiefs a year ago. A win today wouldn’t be as much of a surprise, but it would make Burrow 4-0 against Patrick Mahomes in his career.

6:08 p.m. — The Eagles are NFC champions, so the winner of this game will face Jalen Hurts, Nick Sirianni, and one of the NFL’s most balanced teams in Super Bowl 57.

5:40 p.m. — It’s 22 degrees in Kansas City right now, even colder than it was during the snow game in Buffalo last weekend. These quarterbacks don’t look like they’ll be impacted too heavily, though.

5:30 p.m. — Here’s how Joe Cool looked on his way into Arrowhead Stadium today.

5:27 p.m. — Mahomes’ ankle is of course the other injury to monitor. Here’s how he looked during warmups a little while ago…

5:12 p.m. — Kelce is ACTIVE. His effectiveness will be worth watching, but his presence alone will draw plenty of attention from the Bengals’ defense.

5:06 p.m. — All eyes are on the status of Chiefs TE Travis Kelce, who has been dealing with back spams this week. Reports indicate he’s still likely to play, but this wasn’t even known to be an issue until late this week.

Bengals vs. Chiefs start time

  • Date: Sunday, Jan. 29
  • Time: 6:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. CT)

The AFC championship game between the Bengals and Chiefs will kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. local time) from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

What channel is Bengals vs. Chiefs on today?

  • TV channel (national): CBS
  • TV channel (Cincinnati): WKRC-TV
  • TV channel (Kansas City): KCTV
  • TV channels (Canada): CTV
  • Live streams: Paramount+, fuboTV (U.S.) | DAZN (Canada)

Bengals vs. Chiefs will be broadcast nationally on CBS, with Jim Nantz (play-by-play) and Tony Romo (color analyst) on the call from Arrowhead Stadium.

Viewers can also stream the game on fuboTV, which offers a free trial.

In Canada, the game will air on CTV.

NFL playoff schedule: AFC & NFC championships

Sunday, Jan. 29

Matchup Time (ET) TV Live stream Tickets
49ers vs. Eagles (NFC Championship) 3 p.m. Fox FoxSports.com, fuboTV Buy tickets
Bengals vs. Chiefs (AFC Championship) 6:30 p.m. CBS Paramount+, fuboTV Buy tickets


Credit: sportingnews.com

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