Bengals' Joe Burrow: Chiefs Are 'Still the Team to Beat' Ahead of 2023 AFC Title Game

Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals are set to face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium with a berth in the Super Bowl on the line.

The star Bengals quarterback knows it's going to be the team's toughest battle yet.

"We've been in these spots. We have the experience. We know what team we're playing," Burrow told reporters Wednesday. "They're still the team to beat. We're coming for them."

Sunday's matchup between the Bengals and Chiefs is a rematch of the 2022 AFC Championship Game in which Cincinnati defeated Kansas City 27-24 to clinch a berth in the Super Bowl, where it eventually fell to the Los Angeles Rams.

Burrow completed 23 of 38 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns against one interception in that game. He'll likely have to be even better this time around to guide the Bengals back to the Super Bowl.

However, the Bengals may have a slight edge on the Chiefs as Mahomes continues to recover from a high ankle sprain that he suffered in the first quarter of Kansas City's 27-20 divisional-round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars this past Saturday.

The veteran signal-caller has repeatedly stated he's "ready to go" for the AFC Championship Game, but there's a real possibility he won't be 100 percent come kickoff.

Mahomes said Wednesday, via ESPN's Adam Teicher:

"I felt better than I thought I was going to be after the game. Moving on it during the game definitely hurt. But after the game, I was able to rest it and kind of ice it up and do different stuff like that. I felt in a little bit better position and obviously the next morning felt a little bit better, and then I've continued to get better throughout the week, so we'll see how I feel today at practice.''

Burrow has never lost to the Mahomes-led Chiefs in his career. In addition to winning last season's AFC title game, he is 2-0 against Kansas City in the regular season.

The Bengals are slight -125 favorites over the Chiefs, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. But everyone, including Burrow, knows Kansas City isn't to be taken lightly.

---

Gambling problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369).

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visiting ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), visiting OPGR.org (OR), or calling/texting TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).

Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.