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After winning their first playoff game in over 30 years in the Wild Card round, the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Tennessee Titans by a score of 19-16 in the Divisional Round. In the game, quarterback Joe Burrow went 28 of 37 for 348 yards with an interception.
Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase had seven receptions for 109 receiving yards, and receiver Tee Higgins had seven receptions for 96 yards receiving.
For the Bengals, it will be their first appearance in an AFC Championship game since the 1988 season. Back then, Cincinnati faced the Buffalo Bills at home, defeating them by a score of 21-10.
Then Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason went 11 of 20 for 94 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. Still, running back Ickey Woods had 29 carries for 102 yards rushing with two touchdowns in the win.
The defense in that game held the Bills offense to just 181 total yards, the fewest yards allowed in franchise playoff history.
The Bengals went on to face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIII (23) at Joe Robbie Stadium, then the home of the Miami Dolphins.
In the game, Cincinnati’s defense gave up 452 yards of offense to San Francisco, the third-most in playoff franchise history.
The Bengals were up by a score of 16-13 in the fourth quarter in Super Bowl XXIII over the 49ers with roughly four minutes remaining.
However, 49ers quarterback Joe Montana led the team on an 11-play, 92-yard drive as Montana threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to receiver John Taylor. San Francisco went on to win the game with a score of 20-16.
The Bengals won the division in the 1988 season and made the Super Bowl. However, they accomplished the feat years before.
Cincinnati and the other AFC Championship Appearance
They faced the 49ers in Super Bowl XVI (16), losing by a score of 26-21. Quarterback Ken Anderson went 25 of 34 for 300 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the five-point loss.
For the 2021 Bengals, can they be the third team in franchise history to make it to the Super Bowl? More importantly, can they win it on the road, something they did not have to do in their previous conference championship appearances? Only time will tell.
