Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers complete stunning NFL playoff upsets thanks to last-second field-goals

By Ben Morse, CNN

Updated 1007 GMT (1807 HKT) January 23, 2022

Evan McPherson (left) and Robbie Gould (right) celebrate.

(CNN)Unless you had a crystal ball or had read the tea leaves, Saturday evening wasn't a good evening for people in the predicting business.

The Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers both claimed shock wins thanks to field-goals as time expired despite both coming into their NFL divisional round clashes in the playoffs as underdogs. Rookie kicker Evan McPherson drilled a 52-yard field-goal to give the Bengals a 19-16 win over the No. 1 seed Tennessee Titans and advance to their first AFC Championship game since the 1988 season.Later on, in a snowy Lambeau Field, Robbie Gould kicked a 45-yard field-goal to claim a stunning comeback 13-10 win over the Green Bay Packers to advance them to the NFC Championship game. The two teams are now one win away from Super Bowl LVI. The Bengals will visit either the Buffalo Bills or the Kansas City Chiefs, while the 49ers will travel to either the Los Angeles Rams or Tampa Bay Buccaneers next weekend. Read MoreComing of ageFor the Bengals, the 2021 season has been a time of growing on the biggest stage. A franchise that has had such little success — last weekend's win against the Las Vegas Raiders was their first playoff win for 31 years — this is a dream run. Behind second-year quarterback Joe Burrow, rookie wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase and rookie kicker McPherson, Cincinnati have developed one of the most potent offenses in the league. But facing the Titans — the No. 1 seed in the AFC and welcoming back superstar running back Derrick Henry — winning in Nashville looked a tough order for an inexperienced team. However, they never showed any signs of nerves. The