The Bengals had a less-than-ideal start to the year, to say the least. A 16-10 loss at home to the Patriots, in which the offense looked abysmal all day, is not the start fans wanted to see to begin the 2024 campaign. But if there's ever a spot for the Bengals to rebound, it would be to beat their bitter rivals, the Chiefs, in Arrowhead.
The Chiefs had a good start to the season, taking down the Ravens 27-20 on Thursday Night Football. It was a game of inches, where Isiah Likely could not get his second foot inbounds in the back of the endzone to end the game. The Chiefs will look to continue their dominance on Sunday and prove that they still are the team to beat in the AFC.
The Bengals and Chiefs have developed quite a rivalry over the past three years, with the Bengals beating the Chiefs to head to the Super Bowl in 2022 and the Chiefs getting their revenge in the same situation in 2023. This Sunday's game has the potential to be another great game in this rivalry, but if the Bengals don't make any adjustments from last Sunday, it could be a bloodbath.
Date: Sunday, September 15
Time: 4:25 PM
Location: Arrowhead Stadium
TV info: CBS (Nantz and Romo on the call)
Chiefs Statistical Rankings (2023)
- 22.2 Points Per Game (14th)
- 357.9 Yards Per Game (8th)
- 248.6 Pass Yards and 109.3 Rush Yards Per Game (6th and 17th)
- 43.32% Conversion Rate on Third Down (6th)
- 51.25% Red Zone Conversion Rate (19th)
- 28 Turnovers (t-16th)
- 17 points Allowed Per Game (2nd)
- 298.9 Yards Allowed Per Game (2nd)
- 185.8 Pass Yards and 113 Rush Yards Allowed Per Game (4th and 16th)
- 35.53% Conversion Rate Allowed on Third Down (5th)
- 50.88% Red Zone Conversion Rate Allowed (8th)
- 17 Takeaways (t-27th)
Bengals Injury Report: Tee Higgins (Hamstring, Doubtful), Amarius Mims (Pectoral, Questionable), Logan Wilson (Knee, Questionable)
Chiefs Injury Report: N/A
Kansas City Chiefs
Offense
The Chiefs offense picked up right where they left off last year, this time with a new weapon in rookie Xavier Worthy. Worthy had a 21-yard rushing touchdown and showed off his lethal speed while also having two catches for 47 yards and a touchdown. Rashee Rice also had seven receptions for 103 yards, proving he is ready for the WR1.
Mahomes looked like Mahomes, going 20/28 for 291 yards and a touchdown. He also had a questionable interception, but the Ravens' great defense was bound to get one. Mahomes' favorite target, Travis Kelce, was quiet compared to his normal games, with only three receptions for 34 yards. Kelce must show up in a big way this Sunday against the Bengals.
Defense
The Chiefs' defense had a decent game, but going up against Lamar Jackson is never easy. Lamar had 273 through the air and 122 on the ground. That will not be a concern against Burrow and the Bengals, but if Burrow is back to form, the Chiefs secondary could be in trouble.
The Chiefs will not have trouble on the defensive line. Chris Jones lives in Bengals fans' nightmares from all the previous matchups, and I am sure Sunday will not be much different. The Chiefs only recorded one sack against the Ravens, but they have a great defensive line that will be hungry going up against the Bengals' offensive line.
Cincinnati Bengals
Offense
The Bengals offense was.... well abysmal on Sunday against the Patriots. Burrow was 21/29 for 164 yards and no touchdowns, and he looked TERRIFIED in the pocket. I have watched Joe Burrow play football for the past six years and have never seen him look the way he did against the Patriots. The offensive line gave him time, but he kept relying on check-downs the entire game. The playcalling did not help, so all eyes will be on Burrow and Zac Taylor to get this offense back on track against the Chiefs.
Zack Moss was one of last week's very few bright spots, only having nine carries for 44 yards and a touchdown. One guy we did not see a ton was Chase Brown, who only had three carries for 11 yards and three receptions for 12 yards. Brown has the potential to be a game-changer, so the Bengals need to find a way to let him loose and scheme some real plays for him.
The receiving core did not meet expectations, albeit without Tee Higgins. Ja'Marr Chase had six receptions for 62 yards, and outside of him, nobody looked good. Assuming the Bengals will not have Tee Higgins again on Sunday, eyes will be on Andrei Iosivas and (Hopefully) Jermaine Burton against the Chiefs. Burton did not see much playtime, which fans hope will change because he could be massive for this offense.
Defense
The Bengals' defense got RAN OVER against the Patriots, allowing Rhamondre Stevenson to rush for 120 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown. Stevenson sealed the game by picking up first down after first down, and the Bengals defense had no answer. Going up against Isiah Pacheco will be another challenge, so hopefully, Lou Anarumo will have a better game plan to stop the rushing attack.
The Bengals' secondary had a decent game, holding Jacoby Brissett to only 121 yards on 15 completions and no touchdowns. It will obviously be a much more formidable challenge against Mahomes and the Chiefs. We have seen a Lou Anarumo defense make Patrick Mahomes very uncomfortable before, so fans can only hope to tame the Chiefs' electrifying offense somewhat.
Betting Info
Points Spread: CIN +5.5 (-105) | KC -5.5 (-115)
Moneyline: CIN (+210) | KC (-250)
Over/Under: O 48.5 (-105) | U 48.5 (-115)
Lines via ESPN Bet as of Thursday, SeptembSeptember 12ction
The Bengals have too many issues to fix in one week. The Chiefs are two-time defending champs for a reason, so it is hard to have much hope for the Bengals this week. The Bengals have shocked us against the Chiefs before, so I cannot say that all hope is lost, but it doesn't look good.
Final Score: Bengals 20, Chiefs 31
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