(Orchard Park) Joe Burrow threw two touchdown passes as the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Buffalo Bills 27-10 on Sunday to return to the AFC Finals.
The inspiring presence of Damar Hamlin, who watched the game from a box, was not enough to create a spark for the side of the Bills, who saw their quarterback Josh Allen regularly pressed on the snowy field.
It was sort of a replay of the January 2 season game, which was canceled when the Bills safety suffered a cardiac arrest and was resuscitated on the field in Cincinnati.
Burrow completed his first nine passes for 105 yards, guiding the Bengals to a 14-0 lead after their first two possessions. Ja’Marr Chase caught a 28-yard touchdown pass and Hayden Hurst grabbed a 15-yard one about eight minutes later.
Joe Mixon scored a major on a one-yard run as Evan McPherson had two field goals in a game the Bengals never shot from behind.
The Bengals reached the All-American final for the second straight year, a first in team history. They will take the direction of Kansas City to compete against the Chiefs.
The Bengals defeated the Chiefs 27-24 last year to earn their ticket to the Super Bowl. They then lost to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Cincinnati squad have won their last three games against the Chiefs, including a 27-24 victory last month. The Chiefs secured a fifth straight appearance in the All-American final after beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-20 on Saturday.
The Bills’ playoff run ended in the second round for the second straight season. They lost 42-36 in overtime to the Chiefs last year.
If the Bills had defeated the Bengals, the All-American final would have been played on neutral ground in Atlanta because the Bills (13-3) finished their campaign half a game behind the Chiefs (14-3 ) due to the canceled game against the Bengals.