Cincinnati qualified for the American Conference final on Sunday in the NFL after beating Buffalo (27-10). For its part, San Francisco beat Dallas (19-12) and will play the final of the National Conference.
After the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, Saturday, the Cincinnati Bengals and the San Francisco 49ers have, in turn, qualified for the NFL conference finals on Sunday. Cincinnati, led by Joe Burrowhis young and excellent quarterback, was visiting the Buffalo Bills, designated at the start of the season as the favorites to win the Super Bowl, for the first real confrontation of the year between the two teams (the regular season game between the Bengals and the Bills had been canceledafter Damar Hamlin’s heart attack).
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But, at home, under the snow, Buffalo failed in its mission to qualify and will watch the grand final on television on February 12. Cincinnati, a 2022 Super Bowl finalist, struck early in the game, quickly scoring two touchdowns by Ja’Marr Chase and Hayden Hurst, well served by Joe Burrow. The Bengals have built their offense around the ground game, with 105 yards gained by Joe Mixonauthor of the third TD of his team.
Cincinnati will meet Kansas CityIn the second half, the Bills could only score one field goal. At the end of the match, they failed on a fourth attempt then Josh Allen, their quarterback, was intercepted. The latter threw 265 yards and scored his team’s only touchdown, while running. Joe Burrow, he finished the game with 242 yards.
As was the case last season, Cincinnati will challenge Kansas City in the American Conference Finals. The Chiefs are crossing their fingers for Patrick Mahomes, their star QB, who suffered a sprained ankle contracted in the middle of a game on Saturday. Mahomes had however been able to finish the meeting, but being diminished.
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In the National Conference, the San Francisco 49ers qualified at home at the expense of the Dallas Cowboys (19-12), in a match squared by the defenses. Each team settled for a touchdown. Dutch Schultz had received a short pass from Dak Prescott in the first period for Dallas. Then, in seconds, Christian McCaffrey scored on the run, on the side of the Californians.
Prescott intercepted twice by the 49ersSan Francisco kicker Robbie Gould had four field goals, and Cowboys kicker Brett Maher had two. The 49ers defense, the best in the NFL this season, intercepted Prescott twice in the first period. And Tony Pollard, the runner from Dallas, came out at the break, victim of a fractured fibula. Brock Purdy, the California franchise’s quarterback, who starts this year in the NFL, threw 214 yards.
In the conference finals, San Francisco will play next weekend against Philadelphia. Three of the four teams that played in the conference finals last season will still be present at this level this year. Only the Los Angeles Rams, champions in 2022 but absent in the play-offs this season, will be missing, which the Eagles will replace.
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