The Bengals defeated the Chiefs, 27–24, in overtime on Sunday to win the AFC championship. in overtime on Sunday to win the AFC championship.
Sunday marked Cincinnati's first AFC championship appearance since the 1988 season. That year, the Bengals advanced to the Super Bowl for only the second time in franchise history.
Here's a look at how the Bengals have performed in Super Bowls:
- Super Bowl XVI (1981): 49ers defeat Bengals, 26–21
- Super Bowl XXIII (1988): 49ers defeat Bengals, 20–16
Prior to this year, the Bengals had not won a playoff game since the 1990 season, even though they had made the playoffs seven times between the 2005 and 2015 NFL seasons.