KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Is it Cincinnati vs. the world again?
While Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor said no one play determined their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship, there were multiple fourth quarter penalties that impacted the game.
Taylor was visibly angry after it appeared the Chiefs got a free play early in the fourth quarter. A third down pass from Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce with 10:36 on the clock was short of the first-down line, which would have normally prompted fourth down. The refs, though, blew the play dead after the Bengals thought they had stopped the Chiefs' drive.
Video replay showed a line judge did indeed rush in to waive off the play before the snap because the clock was running when it shouldn't had been. After sideline confusion and back-and-forth with the refs, the Chiefs were awarded the third down do-over with 10:24 left in the fourth quarter.
"(They told us" that they were going to do the play over," Taylor said when asked for the refs reasoning. "A whistle had blown somewhere, and so they play never happened."
As the drive continued, Bengals cornerback Eli Apple was called for holding that automatically gave the Chiefs a first down — seemingly shifting the momentum of the fourth quarter. Despite the first down, the Chiefs did punt on the drive.
Eli Apple with the hold pic.twitter.com/WypUAOkHL9
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 30, 2023
After the game, Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase tweeted," 3 3rd and 9 ?"
3 3rd and 9 ?
— Ja’MarrChase (@Real10jayy__) January 30, 2023
After Joe Burrow threw an interception later in the fourth quarter, Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton was called for pass interference at the 4:59 minute mark as Mahomes was attempting to pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling on 2nd-and-2. The Chiefs were awarded a first down at Kansas City's 37-yard line.
Agree with the Pass Interference call on Mike Hilton? pic.twitter.com/dyo5uF3PXw
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 30, 2023
After an unsuccessful third down conversion, the Chiefs punted back to the Bengals with 2:36 left in the game.
With 1:27 left in the game, Burrow received a late — and controversial — intentional grounding penalty, which forced the Bengals to 3rd-and-16 at the Cincinnati 10-yard line.
Taylor was visibly upset with refs at the grounding call, arguing Samaje Perine was in the vicinity of the ball.
Zac Taylor is LIVID over that intentional grounding call pic.twitter.com/CPD0h9dbFO
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 30, 2023
While Burrow was able to connect with Hurst for a first down, he was then sacked on 3rd-and-8 at the Cincinnati 35 giving the Chiefs the ball with 41 seconds left in the game.
On the last drive of the game, Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai was called for unnecessary roughness after pushing Mahomes out-of-bounds. The penalty advanced the Chiefs 15 yards, putting the final nail in the coffin for the Bengals.
Agree with the call? pic.twitter.com/O4w8JAY3Xh
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 30, 2023
"Any play that people feel that's left out there, you're gonna take it hard," Taylor said. "Joseph comes to work every day, man. He loves ball, he loves being a part of this team, and it didn't come down to that play."
On the very next play, Harrison Butker kicked the game-winning field goal giving the Chiefs a 23-20 win.
