GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Four NFL teams and seven Florida Gators remain in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy as Super Bowl LVII inches closer.
And then there were four. The sports world now turns its attention to Kansas City and Philadelphia - the sites of next week's highly anticipated championship games.
But to get there, a few Gators helped their teams stay alive.
Offensive Highlights
Ladies and gentlemen, Kadarius Toney is special.
Every time the "human joystick" Toney touches the football exciting things happen.
In a divisional round matchup with Jacksonville Saturday, Toney made his presence felt.
And even though Toney is known for running around and away from defenders, he showed he can be successful by running into them, too.
Patrick Mahomes to Kadarius Toney for 9-yds#Jaguars 0 #Chiefs 0 1sᴛ pic.twitter.com/XWbd2gMETT
— Sᴘᴏʀᴛs 24/7 (@Sports_24x7_) January 21, 2023
Toney finished with 73 total yards on nine touches on both offense and special teams. But it was in the game's final frame where Toney made the plays to lift KC to the AFC Championship.
Up three with under nine minutes to go, Toney took the pitch, burst down the sideline and bullied his way all the way to the goal line. The huge 14-yard scamper set up a Chiefs touchdown just two plays later to go up two scores.
— PlayerProfiler NFL (@Profiler_NFL) January 22, 2023Kadarius Toney is a human highlight reel 🌪️ #ChiefsKingdom
With just 25 seconds left and a touchdown-lead in hand, the Chiefs were an onside kick recovery away from advancing to their fifth consecutive AFC Championship.
Mr. Reliable, Toney, was there to clinch the win.
Onside kick recovered by Kadarius Toney#Jaguars 20 #Chiefs 27 4ᴛʜ pic.twitter.com/bQTdp3Nk8g
— Sᴘᴏʀᴛs 24/7 (@Sports_24x7_) January 22, 2023
Toney, defensive end Carlos Dunlap, punter Tommy Townsend and the Kansas City Chiefs will face fellow Gators kicker Evan McPherson, rookie defensive lineman Zach Carter and the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship game Sunday.
Defensive Highlights
It was never a doubt for C.J. Gardner-Johnson and the Philadelphia Eagles. The one-seed Eagles were in control for a full 60 minutes in a dominant 38-7 win over the Giants Saturday.
As per usual, Garner-Johnson was all over the field on defense.
Still in the first quarter, with the Eagles up 14-0, Gardner-Johnson helped make a play that kept the Giants from coming close.
The safety flew into the backfield, throwing off Giants quarterback Daniel Jones leading to a huge interception, helping Philly put the G-men away.
Quick pressure in his face from Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. Great anticipation from Bradberry 🔥🔥🔥pic.twitter.com/jAECg0C1sk
— Darius Butler (@DariusJButler) January 22, 2023
Gardner-Johnson tallied a trio of tackles and a pass defended, but sometimes it's the plays that don't end up on the stat sheet that matter most.
An emerging star now in his fourth season, Gardner-Johnson will make his first ever conference championship appearance when his Eagles face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Buffalo Bills (Buffalo 10 - Cincinnati 27)
24 - Kaiir Elam - CB - Rookie (Started at cornerback, recorded four tackles)
Cincinnati Bengals (Cincinnati 27 - Buffalo 10)
95 - Zachary Carter - DL - Rookie (Recorded one tackle)
2 - Evan McPherson - K - 2nd year (3-for-3 on extra points, 2-for-2 on field goals connecting from 20 and 28 yards away)
Dallas Cowboys (Dallas 12 - San Francisco 19)
56 - Dante Fowler Jr. - OLB - 8th year (Appeared at linebacker)
34 - Malik Davis - RB – Rookie (Appeared at running back)
14 - Antonio Callaway - WR - 3rd year (Practice squad)
Jacksonville Jaguars (Jacksonville 20 - Kansas City 27)
75 - Jawaan Taylor - OT - 5th year (Started at right tackle)
Kansas City Chiefs (Kansas City 27 - Jacksonville 20)
8 - Carlos Dunlap - DE - 13th year (Recorded two tackles)
19 - Kadarius Toney - WR - 2nd year (Caught five passes for 36 yards, carried once for 14 yards and returned three punts for 23 yards)
5 - Tommy Townsend - P - 3rd year (Punted four times for a 50.8-yard average, pinning Jacksonville inside the 20 twice)
New York Giants (NY Giants 7 - Philadelphia 38)
57 - Jarrad Davis - LB - 6th year (Started at linebacker, recorded five tackles)
Philadelphia Eagles (Philadelphia 38 - NY Giants 7)
23 - C.J. Gardner-Johnson - S - 3rd year (Started at defensive back, recorded three tackles and one pass defended)
50 - Fred Johnson – OT – 4th year (Practice Squad)
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