How can the Chiefs beat the Bengals? By staying out of their own way, for starters
Looking at some of the mistakes the Chiefs made last year against Cincinnati, and how to avoid the past repeating itself Sunday.
There are not many teams that can legitimately say they “have one” on the Chiefs right now. In fact, there’s exactly one; The Cincinnati Bengals.
Last year, the Bengals ended the Chiefs’ season prior to the Super Bowl after consecutive trips there for Kansas City. They also beat Reid’s squad twice in a row, something that’s been borderline unprecedented in the Patrick Mahomes era. And both games featured a whole lot of “yuck” if you’re a Chiefs fan and “LETS GO” if you’re a Bengals fan.
The two teams face off once again Sunday in a game that has significant implications for both teams. The Chiefs are 9-2 and at the top of the AFC. They’ll want a W to keep their foot on the gas towards the coveted bye week and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. The Bengals are 7-4 and in a dead heat for the AFC North crown… BUT a single loss in a crowded AFC could see them bumped to the fringe of the playoffs. There’s a lot at stake here.
From the Chiefs’ perspective, this game has the hallmark of a playoff preview. There’s been a little chatter from players heading into it. That said, the Bengals took advantage of the Chiefs’ habit of beating themselves last season (along with a few key defensive weak spots) and demonstrated themselves to be a tough, tough out for Mahomes and company.
So what happened last year? And how do the Chiefs keep it from happening again? Let’s talk about a few things the Chiefs need to do, and not do, based on lessons from last season if they want to win Sunday.