Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers pull off NFL playoff upsets thanks to last-minute field goals – KESQ

Luis Ernesto Quintana Barney

(CNN) — Unless you had a crystal ball or read the tea leaves, Saturday night was not a good night for people in the prediction business. The Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers earned surprising victories thanks to field goals and when time was running out. Both teams entered their NFL divisional round matchups as the least likely opponents.

Rookie kicker Evan McPherson drilled a 52-yard field goal to give the Bengals a 19-16 victory over the No. 1-ranked Tennessee Titans and advance to their first AFC Championship game since the 1988 season.

Later, at snowy Lambeau Field, Robbie Gould kicked a 45-yard field goal to claim an amazing 13-10 comeback over the Green Bay Packers and see them through in the NFC Championship game.

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Both teams are now one win away from Super Bowl LVI. The Bengals will visit the Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs, while the 49ers will face the Los Angeles Rams or Tampa Bay Buccaneers next weekend.

Bengals: be less than more

For the Bengals, the 2021 season has been a time of growth.

A franchise that has had so little success (last weekend’s win against the Las Vegas Raiders was its first playoff win in 31 years), this is a dream streak.

Behind second-year quarterback Joe Burrow, rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and rookie kicker McPherson, Cincinnati has developed one of the most potent offenses in the league.

But facing the No. 1-ranked Titans in the AFC and welcoming superstar running back Derrick Henry, winning in Nashville seemed like a tall order for an inexperienced team.

However, they never showed signs of nervousness. The Bengals led 9-6 at halftime before Joe Mixon danced his way to extend the lead to 16-6.

Ja’Marr Chase makes a catch off Elijah Molden.

Afterward, the Titans evened the score with only the fourth quarter remaining. A field goal, a dramatic interception of a Burrow pass on the next play and an exquisite touchdown throw from Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill to AJ Brown set up a dramatic finish.

And after strong defensive play from both sides, a Tannehill interception by Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson set up McPherson’s game-winning kickoff to send Cincinnati into the next round.

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After the game, Bengals players praised their kicker’s nerves, with Burrow saying he had “ice in his veins.”

Burrow told reporters that before he went out for the game-winning kick, McPherson told him, “Well, it looks like we’re going to the AFC Championship Game.”

Moments later, his teammates surrounded him after keeping his promise.

McPherson celebrates after scoring the field goal that beat the Titans.

A surprise in the snow

With temperatures dipping below freezing and snow falling, traveling from California to Wisconsin to take on Green Bay was a daunting task.

And the Packers set the tone early at home, an impressive opening drive that ended with an AJ Dillion touchdown to give them a lead.

While the 49ers offense struggled, so did the Packers after that, blocking a field goal on their only other real scoring opportunity in the first half.

San Francisco got its own field goal soon after, before the Packers responded with theirs in the second half.

But it was a special teams mistake that turned the momentum in the 49ers’ favor, a blocked punt that allowed Talanoa Hufanga to pick up the fumble and run for a touchdown with less than five minutes left.

Talanoa Hufanga recovers a blocked punt and runs the ball for a touchdown.

After shutting down Green Bay’s offense again, the 49ers were able to get in position to allow Gould to hit the game-winning kick and advance to their second NFC Championship game in three years.

While it was jubilation for the 49ers, on the Packers side the loss kicks off a season of questions about superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ future in Green Bay.

The 37-year-old, the reigning NFL MVP, could win the award this season but said he was “a little numb” after the loss.

Last season was filled with rumors and speculation that after 18 years with the team, Rodgers wanted to move elsewhere.

But he says he will make a decision about his future after he has had time to consider it.

Rodgers looks skyward during the fourth quarter of the game against the 49ers.

“I didn’t think we’d be talking about this after this game,” Rodgers said.

“I’m going to take some time and talk to people here, and then I’m going to take time and make a decision, obviously before free agency or anything starts on that front. Just started this. A bit shocking, of course. I was hoping to have a good weekend for the NFC Championship, enjoy the lead-up and then start to contemplate some things, so I haven’t even really let the moment settle down.”

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