KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Thousands of Chiefs fans packed their way into Kansas City Live! at the Power & Light District for Sunday's AFC Championship Game. And after the Chiefs raced out to a 21-3 lead, it was an electric atmosphere.
That energy left the venue though as the game unfolded, with the Cincinnati Bengals scoring 21 unanswered points before the Chiefs forced overtime.
One more large cheer was heard when Kansas City won the coin toss, but it flipped again as the Bengals outlasted the Chiefs 27-24 to end Kansas City's season one game shy of the Super Bowl.
"So much good energy, Mahomes is a freak, we let off the gas a little bit, we'll rebuild next year and we’re fine. We’re absolutely fine Kansas City, we will be back," said Alex Drew, a Chiefs fan from Overland Park.
That disappointment, tinged with optimism, was felt throughout the crowd after the final whistle.
"It was a good season, they recovered really well from what could’ve been a big disaster. When you think about the fact they’ve had four championship games in a row, set all kinds of records, really can’t be unhappy about it," said fan Phil Scheerer.
No regrets from fans at Power & Light, despite the outcome.
"We came all the way from Minnesota — I’m a diehard Chiefs fan, born and raised," Nancy Campbell said. "I love Kansas City, it’s such an amazing town, and this is such a fun environment to be around.
Shaking off Sunday's loss, Chiefs fans' loyalty runs deep.
"That’s what Chiefs do — we always keep the heart. We lost, but I’m looking forward to next year," Jesse Smith said.
Despite that heartbreaking end, fans are still looking forward to the 2022 Chiefs season when they'll try to reach a fifth straight AFC Championship Game.
