The third NFL divisional round playoff game is a battle all NFL fans have been waiting for. The defending AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals will take on the Buffalo Bills, and the winner will face the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. Kickoff time is set at 3 p.m. ET, and the game can be seen on CBS, Paramount+ and NFL+ for mobile users.
Both teams were set to face each other earlier this month in a regular season game. However, Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed during the contest due to him suffering cardiac arrest. The NFL canceled the game, but the Bengals went on to beat the Baltimore Ravens in the wild-card round of the playoffs, while the Bills got past the Miami Dolphins.
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The Bengals were able to keep things rolling after suffering a tough loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl. The team hasn’t lost a game since Halloween when they fell to the Cleveland Browns, and quarterback Joe Burrow had a strong season, completing 68.3% of his passes while throwing for 4,475 yards and 35 touchdowns with a 100.8 passer rating.
The Bills came into the 2022 season as one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. And while they haven’t played clean at times, they have the tools to win it all and come into the game on an eight-game winning streak. Quarterback Josh Allen will likely get MVP votes after throwing for 4,283 yards and 35 touchdowns while also rushing for 762 yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season.
“I think this is going to be an absolute show,” NFL.com columnist Adam Schein said, per the Bills’ official website. “You think about the quarterbacks, you think about Allen-Burrow. The incredible stars are going to be on display all over the field including the wide receiver position. You think about the anticipation for the matchup in Week 17. I really think this is going to be the most special ballgame this weekend on the best weekend in all sports.”
If the Bengals win, they will travel to Kansas City to play the Chiefs in the AFC Championship. But if the Bills win, they will play the Chiefs in Atlanta as this is part of the plan the NFL set after the Bills-Bengals regular season was canceled.