The Kansas City Chiefs likely thought they had their ticket to the Super Bowl punched in the first half, when they held a 21-3 advantage over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game. And even when the Bengals stormed back to force overtime, the host Chiefs didn't shy away from showing everyone they definitely thought they had things in hand after winning the overtime coin toss.
But miraculously, the Bengals are headed to Super Bowl LVI. And their massive comeback did more than eliminate the Chiefs -- it ended what was a seriously impressive streak from quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
According to Ed Werder of ESPN, citing ESPN Stats & Info, Mahomes was undefeated in games he led by at least 15 points, with a 37-0 record. Of course, that 21-3 first-half deficit for Cincinnati means Mahomes once led by 18 points on Sunday.
While the collapse -- and overtime loss despite getting the ball first -- was shocking, it turns out that history actually was on the side of the Bengals as soon as they worked their way out of the hole. Mahomes is 0-2 against Joe Burrow when leading by at least 14 points, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
The first loss came on Jan. 2, when the Bengals stormed back from a 21-7 deficit for a 34-31 win.
The Bengals now will play in their first Super Bowl since 1989.
