Burrow unsurprised by consecutive AFC title game appearances: 'Winning is expected'

Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow said he isn't surprised by his team's recent success ahead of its second consecutive AFC Championship Game.

"I wouldn't say it's surreal," Burrow told reporters Friday. "I would say that winning is expected."

He added, "If you would've told people that we're going to be in this spot a couple years ago, I think people would've said you're crazy. But we trusted the process … and put together a great team and great people, and (that) got us to this point."

The Bengals posted a 2-14 record in 2019, which allowed them to select Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft. They had a 4-11-1 record in Burrow's rookie campaign, during which he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 10.

Cincinnati made it to the Super Bowl last season, snapping their streak of five consecutive losing seasons. It can return to football's grandest stage with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Burrow believes the Chiefs' defense is "much better" than it was last year and has "evolved" since their meeting in Week 13.

The Bengals bested the Chiefs in December after Burrow led a fourth-quarter rally en route to a 27-24 win. He ended the contest with 256 passing yards, three total touchdowns, and a 126.6 passer rating.

The Pro Bowl passer led the franchise to a 5-1 mark in postseason competition, with his lone blemish coming in the Super Bowl LVI loss to the Los Angeles Rams.