KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals meet at Arrowhead Stadium Sunday to battle for a spot in the Super Bowl.
It’s the fourth straight year that Kansas City has hosted the AFC championship game, an NFL record, and the Chiefs have won the last two. The Bengals are in the conference title game for the first time since 1988. Only a couple of special teams players were even alive the last time Cincinnati played in a conference championship game.
Both teams are coming off dramatic wins in the divisional round. The Bengals needed a last-second kick from rookie Evan McPherson to beat the top-seeded Titans on the road. The Chiefs rallied to beat the Bills in overtime.
Pro Bowl safety Tyrann Mathieu has cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol and the Chiefs removed his injury designation about three hours before kickoff, clearing the way for him to play Sunday. The Chiefs also have one of their best defensive backs, Rashad Fenton, who missed their first two playoff games with a back injury. The Bengals are without injured defensive linemen Cam Sample and Josh Tupou.
NFL-NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Rivals meet again as Rams host 49ers in NFC title game
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams host the San Francisco 49ers Sunday night in the NFC championship game.
San Francisco has swept its last six matchups with its NFC West rivals for the longest winning streak in the rivalry since 1999. The Niners are seeking their eighth Super Bowl appearance, and the Rams are going for their fifth.
The Rams are the first team to host a conference title game at the site of the Super Bowl. With a win they would join last season’s Buccaneers as the only teams to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium. The 49ers are returning to the SoFi Stadium after rallying from an early 17-point deficit to beat the Rams just three weeks ago.
