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Jeremy WillisESPN.com
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals once again face the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.
Rewind to January 2022 when the Bengals erased an 18-point deficit against the Chiefs to win 27-24 in overtime and booked a trip to the Super Bowl.
Burrow and Co. fell short in Super Bowl LVI, losing to the Los Angeles Rams 23-20. For Burrow, it ended one of the swaggiest runs ever.
If you thought things would change, you weren’t ready for Joe Brrr 2: The Road to Burrowhead.
The fashion is still on point
One of the highlights of Burrow’s playoff run last season was arriving to the AFC title game in an ensemble similar to one made famous by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Now it’s haute couture in Cincy.
The 26-year-old Burrow’s looks this season have included a floral-printed suit, multiple bucket hats and even a Ron Swanson-themed Christmas sweater. He wore a $3,180 puffer coat from the North Face x Gucci collaboration to the AFC division-round game against the Buffalo Bills.
However, Burrow’s best look was arguably the Cartier sunglasses he wore in Week 18.
It started with a twirl
If the Bengals go on to win the Super Bowl, Burrow’s playoff performance against the Bills will be a big part of the legend.
And if you can look this cool in slow motion, before playing in the snow, on the road, against a heavy favorite, the results might just be a wrap.
Joe is too cold 🥶 @JoeyB
📺: #CINvsBUF on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/RqOcaBu1Zc pic.twitter.com/nZqDtAhNvP
— NFL (@NFL) January 22, 2023
Burrow completed his first nine passes in the game and finished with 273 total yards while throwing two touchdowns in the 27-10 win.
Following one of those touchdowns, Burrow was caught on a hot mic proclaiming, “I’m him.”
“I’M HIM.” – @JoeyB
Joe Shiesty’s confidence is on another level. (via @NFLFilms, @insidetheNFL) pic.twitter.com/BlgaiOnQ1n
— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2023
“Did I say that?” Burrow said later after being asked about the comment. “Sometimes you black out out there.”
Just the excuse someone trying to hide superpowers would use.
Prior to the division-round game, the NFL said that Bills and Chiefs fans had purchased 50,000 tickets to the AFC title game. The league put the game in Atlanta after Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field and the Week 17 game between the Bills and Bengals could not be made up. That cost Buffalo a chance at home-field advantage.
That’s moot now. Since the Bengals won, the AFC Championship Game will be in Kansas City. Burrow had a message for the Bills fans who had already booked their trips to Atlanta.
The AFC Championship Game would have been held at a neutral site for Bills-Chiefs.
Joe Burrow made sure that wasn’t the case. pic.twitter.com/6zGr1N1bSu
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 22, 2023
The swag is spreading
The Chiefs are a slight favorite for Sunday’s game. However, Burrow is one of the few quarterbacks in the NFL to have the upper hand on Chiefs QB and MVP frontrunner Patrick Mahomes.
Why? Well, Burrow is undefeated (3-0) against Mahomes and is the only quarterback to beat Mahomes in three consecutive meetings. According to ESPN Stats & Information, no quarterback has yet to win four straight against Mahomes and the Chiefs, but Burrow has yet to lose a road playoff game and riding a 10-game winning streak that dates to Week 9 of the regular season.
Thanks to Burrow’s success against Kansas City, some Bengals players are referring to the Chiefs’ home stadium as Burrowhead Stadium rather than Arrowhead.
Burrow is 3-0 vs. Mahomes 😳
(h/t @NFL_DovKleiman) pic.twitter.com/yFc3E3T4fK
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 26, 2023
