Who do the Cincinnati Bengals play next in NFL Playoffs after beating Bills?

The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Buffalo Bills to advance to the AFC Championship Game.

For the second year in a row, the Cincinnati Bengals will be playing for the Lamar Hunt Trophy.

The defending AFC champions went on the road and handled the Buffalo Bills throughout the entire ballgame. It was an emotional, snow-covered game in Orchard Park, but it was abundantly clear from opening kickoff that Joe Burrow was cooler than the other side of the pillow. Though Buffalo had a great season, Cincinnati might be the best team in the AFC now, and going forward.

So … who do the Bengals get to play in the AFC Championship Game next weekend?

Who will the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2022 AFC Championship Game?

It will be a repeat of last year’s conference title bout at the same place, if you can believe. Yes, the Kansas City Chiefs will host the Bengals at Arrowhead Stadium next weekend. Had the Bills held serve and won at home on Sunday instead of the Bengals getting the road upset, the AFC Championship Game would have been held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. That’s too bad…

So for the fourth year in a row, either the Bengals or Chiefs will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. The winner of the conference title bout in Kansas City will take on either the Philadelphia Eagles or the winner of the Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers game in Super Bowl 57 in Glendale, Arizona. Cincinnati is the only team still left in the playoffs that has never won one.

Ultimately, we are in the midst of the golden age of Bengals football. For as long as Burrow is healthy and the front office can put a winning product on the field, Cincinnati is going to be a problem in the AFC for a long time. One could easily argue now that Cincinnati is the best team in the NFL that has not won a Super Bowl yet with its current core. They need to win in KC, though.

This was a masterclass performance by the entire Bengals team to win easily in Orchard Park.