The gameplan; How Steve Spagnuolo and Andy Reid could learn from the past
Looking at a few ways the Chiefs can attack a Bengals team that has had their number.
Have you heard that the Bengals have beaten the Chiefs three straight times?
I know, this information is truly shocking, but it’s true. In an angle that hasn’t been remotely covered this week (along with Mahomes’ ankle… he might be limited, if no one told you!), Cincinnati has had Kansas City’s number the last few times they’ve played. That, of course, includes last year’s AFC Championship, in which the Chiefs managed to lose a huge lead in the most strange meltdown (basically the only meltdown) of Patrick Mahomes’ career.
Of course, each of those games had its own unique flavor, and each game was close enough that even a play or two changing would have possibly altered how they ended.
Of course, there’s a reason the Bengals have won three straight against Kansas City. They’re a team that’s a tough matchup for the Chiefs with some of their specific strengths. And if Reid and company want to come out on top this time, their game plans will need to be excellent and well-executed by the players.
I’ve been looking at the Week 13 matchup and last year’s games between these teams, and while those results aren’t dispositive, they’re at least interesting in trying to figure out what both sides might do to try and gain an edge on Sunday. Given some of the successes and failures each team had previously, and how both are playing as of late, I thought it might make sense to do a version of “if I were the coach” for both Andy Reid and Steve Spagnuolo.
There are a couple of “tweaks” I think would enhance Kansas City’s chances at winning, if they want to learn from past results. For Spags, it’s about altering their coverage strategy and giving the pass rush a chance to win. For Andy, it’s about altering his personnel and plan of attack. Let’s talk about each at length, and hope that come Monday we’re talking about how Kansas City executed them (or some other gameplan) into a win and the third Super Bowl appearance of the Mahomes era.