The Chiefs’ reign atop the AFC is over. The Bengals overcame an 18-point first-half deficit to stun the Chiefs in overtime, 27-24, in Sunday’s AFC Championship game in Kansas City to advance to Super Bowl 2022, where they’ll play the Rams or 49ers.

Evan McPherson won the game for Cincinnati with a 31-yard field goal after Patrick Mahomes was intercepted by Vonn Bell 14 seconds into overtime.

Joe Burrow went 23-for-38 with 250 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase connected for a touchdown with 14 seconds left in the third quarter, with the Bengals tying the game 21-21 on the ensuing two-point conversion.

McPherson kicked a 52-yard field goal with 6:07 remaining to put the Bengals up 24-21, their first lead of the game, before Harrison Butker kicked a 44-yard field goal for the Chiefs to tie the game as time expired in regulation.

Cincinnati has reached the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1988 season, when it fell to San Francisco in Super Bowl XXIII.

New York Giants have named Brian Daboll their new head coach. Previously the offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills, Daboll acknowledged that Giants fans are expecting results and a rapid turnaround after the somewhat turbulent tenure of Joe Judge.

“I have a pretty good idea where our fan base’s feelings are right now, and I get it. I promise we will work our tails off to put a team on the field that you will be proud to support and give us the results we all want,” Daboll said.

Daboll looked like the leading candidate for most of the process. That became even more true when the Giants hired Joe Schoen, also formerly of the Bills, as GM. There were some brief rumors that Daboll was eyeing a different opening, but that obviously did not come to anything.

Though he has no head coaching experience, Daboll has been an offensive coordinator in both college and the NFL for over a decade. He has a rebuilding job ahead of him, and the organization will no doubt want to see what he can coax out of quarterback Daniel Jones.

David Ortiz was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first turn on the ballot, while steroid-tainted stars Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were denied entry to Cooperstown in their final year under consideration by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Ortiz, a clutch slugger and 10-time All-Star over 20 seasons mostly with the Boston Red Sox, was named on 77.9% of ballots unveiled Tuesday night, clearing the 75% threshold needed for enshrinement. He’s the fourth primary designated hitter voted into the Hall.

Big Papi was among baseball’s most recognizable faces through the 2000s and 2010s. His enormous grin endeared him to fans, but the Dominican’s hulking frame menaced pitchers, especially in the late innings. He had 23 game-ending hits, including three during the 2004 postseason while Boston ended an 86-year World Series drought.

He’s also the fourth player born in the Dominican Republic, joining Juan Marichal, Pedro Martinez and Vladimir Guerrero.