Kansas
All Bengals Staff Picks For AFC Championship Rematch Against Kansas City Chiefs
KANSAS CITY — The Bengals and Chiefs meet on Sunday for the fourth time in 13 months.
Will Cincinnati beat Kansas Metropolis to advance to Tremendous Bowl LVII? Our employees picks are right here:
Elise Jesse, All Bengals Insider
Season Report: 14-4
Wins must be traded backwards and forwards to name what the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas Metropolis Chiefs occurring a rivalry so we’ll name it a rematch as an alternative. Fairly the rematch it’s too. For the second straight 12 months the identical two groups are vying for an AFC Championship win to punch their ticket to the Tremendous Bowl.
If I had been enjoying move or smash main as much as this sport, I would move on all the bizarre issues which have occurred like Willie Homosexual insulting the Bengals’ offense, Chris Jones echoing Mike Hilton with the “Burrowhead Stadium” line, and Cincinnati’s Mayor Aftab Pureval calling for Joe Burrow’s paternity check to ensure he isn’t “Patrick Mahomes father”. I would smash on predictions and also you’re about to get 9 of them.
The strain falls again onto Cincinnati’s protection as they appear to stifle probably the most environment friendly offense within the NFL which ranks first with 6.4 yards per play. I believe Patrick Mahomes will rely extra on the fly sweeps and pitch choices to Isiah Pacheco or Kadarius Toney to maneuver the ball.
He will certainly lean on Travis Kelce, among the finest tight ends within the sport who is superb after the catch. Germaine Pratt was requested on Thursday what his response could be if Kelce had 14 catches in opposition to the Bengals on Sunday and he replied, “if that occurs we aren’t doing our jobs.”
I’ve a sense Cincinnati’s protection will likely be overly ready as they at all times are for what they’re up in opposition to. The Bengals patched up offensive line did effectively in Buffalo, however I believe Steve Spagnuolo will attempt to expose any weak spot he probably can with Frank Clark, Chris Jones, and George Karlaftis, who’ve a mixed 26.5 sacks among the many three of them. Jones is the principle man I am apprehensive about as a result of he is such a harmful inside move rusher and his stats (15.5 sacks) converse to expertise and talent at making a quarterback’s day completely depressing.
Fortunately for Burrow, he will get the ball out in 2.5 seconds and has all of his weapons obtainable. This would be the greatest check of the season for the offensive line and if they can maintain a pocket collectively in addition to they did within the first half in opposition to the Payments they need to be okay however I consider it should take extraordinary effort by each single man within the trenches.
I believe this sport will come right down to a turnover, and I believe the Bengals will pressure that, it is turn out to be their calling card by means of this 10-game win streak (17). Evan McPherson kicks Cincinnati previous Kansas Metropolis in time beyond regulation.
Prediction: Bengals 27, Chiefs 24
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Russ Heltman, All Bengals Contributor
Season Report: 13-5
The previous half-decade of AFC playoff runs have concluded in a single spot: Kansas Metropolis.
Cincinnati will get its second-straight playoff likelihood to bludgeon the Chiefs and turn out to be the primary group in Bengals historical past to make back-to-back Tremendous Bowls. They get it completed because of nice red-zone execution from Burrow, and a defensive gameplan simply robust sufficient to decelerate Mahomes and Kelce.
Burrow and the fellas shredded Buffalo’s top-five pink zone protection final week. Kansas Metropolis is thirty first in red-zone protection, permitting a landing on 67.24% of drives. The bottom line is getting there. The Chiefs completed second in quarterback pressures and first in quarterback hits this season. Jones will determine the weak hyperlink early and spam rush that participant all sport if he has to. Cincinnati wants offensive line consistency throughout the board.
Bottle that up, and they need to win the sport. I am not satisfied Mahomes will likely be working round like regular, and which means much less busted play potential for Kelce. Tre Flowers (hamstring) will play and has helped stifle Kelce in all three matchups over the previous two seasons.
He and Mike Hilton just do sufficient in opposition to the Chiefs legend to gas a win.
Prediction: Bengals 28, Chiefs 25
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Nicole Zembrodt, All Bengals Contributor
Season Report: 14-4
Sunday’s matchup would be the fourth time in 392 days that the Bengals and the Chiefs have performed one another. Cincinnati is 3-0 in these contests largely to holding Mahomes to a mean of 252.3 passing yards per contest, six touchdowns, and two interceptions. Burrow has torched Kansas Metropolis’s secondary with 327.3 yards per sport, eight touchdowns, and one interception in these wins.
Pacheco and Jerrick McKinnon mixed for 117 yards on 22 carries (5.3 yards per carry) in Week 13. They noticed success on the bottom, however could not keep it up because of the Bengals’ offensive assault. If they’ll keep affected person and discover success with their working backs it should take lots of strain off of Mahomes.
Kansas Metropolis is a a lot better group within the trenches on either side of the ball than the Payments. Alex Cappa and Jonah Williams are out, however the Bengals are hoping offense may have one other balanced assault between Burrow and Joe Mixon.
On the finish of the day, Lou Anarumo is the largest issue on this sport. He is been certainly one of only a few who’ve been in a position to decelerate this Kansas Metropolis explosive offense, significantly along with his second-half changes. The final three conferences have been determined by three factors every, however the Bengals have outscored Kansas Metropolis 47-24 within the second half of these video games.
Burrow makes it 4-0 in opposition to the Chiefs as Cincinnati punches their tickets to a second-consecutive Tremendous Bowl.
Prediction: Bengals 27, Chiefs 26
Blake Jewell, All Bengals Contributor
Season Report: 15-3
The Bengals are in search of their fourth-straight win over the Chiefs, and I’m pretty assured they’ll get it. Defensively, they should do what they normally do in opposition to Kelce, doubling him to restrict his yardage. One other key’s going to be not letting Pacheco run wild. If they’ll include the run and Kelce, I believe it places them in an ideal place to win.
Offensively, they should forestall Jones from wreaking havoc. They’ll have to run the ball effectively and keep away from turnovers. I believe they begin out buying and selling pictures with the Chiefs, however draw back within the late third quarter. From there, I believe the Chiefs fall brief on a comeback try, sending the Bengals to their second consecutive Tremendous Bowl look.
Prediction: Bengals 31, Chiefs 27
Mike Santagata, All Bengals Movie Analyst
Season Report: 13-5
For the fourth time in simply over a 12 months, the Bengals and Chiefs are destined for one more battle. The Bengals are winners of 10-straight video games and are arguably the most well liked group in soccer. The Chiefs then again are favored on this sport and nonetheless some of the feared opponents within the NFL.
The Bengals offense has by no means really struggled in opposition to this Chiefs protection. They at all times have a plan for Jones and the expertise to maneuver the ball at will. With a banged up offensive line the efficiency on offense will probably come right down to safety. If Burrow has time, then he ought to be nice.
The Bengals protection then again has had halves of poor play. The Chiefs have moved the ball very effectively at occasions, but in addition have been utterly neutered at different occasions. Can the Bengals pressure one other turnover and get to a hobbled Mahomes?
General, the Bengals match up effectively with the Chiefs. It’s totally arduous to beat an elite opponent 4 occasions in a row, however it was very arduous to beat them 3 times in a row as effectively.
Prediction: Bengals 31, Chiefs 27
Lindsay Patterson, All Bengals Contributor
Season Report: 14-4
A 12 months later and it is the Bengals at Chiefs once more with a visit to the Tremendous Bowl on the road. Kansas Metropolis desires revenge from being 0-3 in opposition to Cincinnati within the final 12 months.
I believe this sport will likely be extra in regards to the protection than something. Burrow is enjoying nice. If they’ll run the ball with Mixon like they did in opposition to the Payments, they are going to management this sport. I believe the main target will keep on Ja’Marr Chase and that is extra of Tee Higgins sport too. Additionally,
Jones can smash a sport plan in opposition to the Bengals’ offensive line. Burrow might want to get the ball out fast. On the flip facet, Anarumo must dial it up and have a great sport plan in opposition to a productive Chiefs’ offense. I believe he’ll be capable of put the strain on and cease the run sport. Kelce will get his, however the Bengals will include him and get out of Arrowhead with one other win.
Prediction: Bengals 27, Chiefs 24
Andrew Miller, All Bengals Video Editor
Season Report: 13-5
The Bengals have confirmed that they’ll win in Arrowhead when the stakes are excessive. Mahomes and Kelce will create their justifiable share of massive performs, however they might wrestle with consistency all through the sport since they’re coping with ankle and again accidents, respectively. Even when the Chiefs’ protection is ready to persistently strain Burrow, he has improved this season at shortly releasing the ball and discovering his playmakers. Not like final 12 months’s AFC Championship, Sunday’s winner received’t want a last-minute discipline objective to safe the win.
Prediction: Bengals 27, Chiefs 21
James Yarcho, All Bengals Contributor
Season Report: 13-5
Between the sport being at “Burrowhead” Stadium and the stigma hanging over the pinnacle of Patrick Mahomes that he hasn’t overwhelmed Burrow when the 2 have confronted off, there’s all the explanation to consider that the Chiefs are going to do the whole lot they probably can to win this sport. And though Mahomes suffered the excessive ankle sprain in opposition to the Jags final week, he is been strolling round with no brace and is not going to make use of that as an excuse. In the long run, none of it should matter—the Bengals are probably the most full group, prime to backside, remaining within the playoffs. Mahomes will beat Burrow at some point, however it is not going to be this time. Bengals punch their ticket to their consecutive Tremendous Bowl within the quest for his or her first Lombardi.
Prediction: Bengals 31, Chiefs 27
James Rapien, All Bengals Writer
Season Report: 13-5
The Bengals and Chiefs each have nice quarterbacks and stars on offense. Each models will ship, however Anarumo’s protection makes yet one more play and McPherson delivers within the chilly to ship Cincinnati to their second-straight Tremendous Bowl.
Prediction: Bengals 30, Chiefs 27
Cincinnati fights Kansas Metropolis for a spot within the Tremendous Bowl this Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS. The sport is out there through fuboTV—begin your free trial right here.
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Kansas
Bill Self provides the latest injury update on Flory Bidunga
Flory Bidunga, the 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward from Kokoma (IN) High School, was well on his way to having a career night against UNCW on Tuesday night. In seven minutes of action, Bidunga, KU’s five-star freshman, scored six points and pulled down two rebounds.
Offensively, Bidunga was 3-of-3 from the field and was on pace to dunk himself to a career-high in points.
However, Bidunga went down with an ankle injury in the first half and never returned. In fact, Bidunga didn’t make his way back to KU’s bench until the 11:00 mark of the second half.
Bill Self, who won game No. 800 on Tuesday night, provided the latest update on Bidunga minutes after the game.
“Yeah, I don’t think he should have played, but in a big game where maybe you didn’t have another game coming up immediately after, he could have been back out there probably,” said Self on Tuesday night. “So, he’ll be off of it a day or two, but hopefully be practicing by Friday.
“No, it was his ankle,” he added. (It was) his ankle.”
Kansas, without question, avoided what could have been a devastating injury on Tuesday night. Through five games, Bidunga is averaging 8.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. In appearing in all five games, he’s connected on 82.6 percent (19-of-23) of his field goals and 50 percent (4-of-8) of his free throws.
With a big game against Duke scheduled for November 26 in Las Vegas, Self, shortly after winning game No. 800, provided a breakdown of the schedule for the rest of the week.
Thankfully for Self, Kansas should arrive in Las Vegas next week with fresh bodies.
Against UNCW, just one player, Hunter Dickinson, logged 30 minutes. In all, KU’s All-American big man scored 15 points and pulled down 15 rebounds. Overall, Dickinson was 7-of-11 from the field, 0-of-1 from behind the arc, and 1-of-3 from the free-throw line.
Dajuan Harris (17 points, three rebounds, six assists, one turnover, and two steals) played 29 minutes, while KJ Adams (three points, five rebounds) logged 29 minutes as well.
Two just other players, Zeke Mayo (25 minutes) and AJ Storr (22 minutes), played more than 20 minutes. Mayo tallied 10 points, two rebounds, two assists, one turnover, one steal, and one block, while Storr added seven points, one rebound, one assist, and one turnover.
“We’re going to take tomorrow off and then we’ll practice Thursday and Friday hard and then light, very light, probably on Saturday,” said Self. “Then (we’ll) practice Sunday and Monday. So I haven’t watched Duke yet, but we will have a great game to watch ’em against the quality opponent obviously with Kentucky and then they play at Arizona on Friday.
“So we’ll have two games where we will have a pretty good book on them just like they’ll have a pretty good book on us I would think by Tuesday.
Kansas
Kansas agrees to increase hospital beds for mentally ill defendants
TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas has promised to provide more hospital beds for mentally ill criminal defendants to settle a federal lawsuit filed over defendants waiting months for evaluations of whether they were fit for a trial.
The agreement between state officials and representatives of five defendants requires the state to “use its best efforts” to open a new psychiatric hospital by January 2027 in Wichita, the state’s largest city. Officials also must seek funding from the Kansas Legislature to reopen a previously closed 30-bed unit at its psychiatric hospital in Larned in western Kansas, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) northwest of Wichita.
The agreement was announced this week by the two groups pursuing the lawsuit, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and the National Police Accountability Project, based in the Seattle area. The groups sued in 2022 on behalf of attorneys for four defendants and the mother of a fifth. The accused were identified only by their initials.
The state operates two psychiatric hospitals, but only the one in Larned has a unit for evaluating whether mentally ill criminal defendants can understand their cases and participate in their own defense. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Larned State Hospital has had fewer than 80 beds for defendants awaiting evaluation.
The state Department for Aging and Disability Services, which runs the Larned facility, acknowledged before the lawsuit was filed that defendants were waiting an average of about 11 months to be evaluated. The lawsuit said defendants remained in county jails that weren’t providing adequate treatment, making the inmates’ conditions worse and violating their rights. The lawsuit also said the state was violating the federal Americans with Disabilities Act by discriminating against people with mental health problems.
“This settlement is more than a legal agreement; it’s a lifeline for those who have been lost in the system, a promise that their dignity and humanity will no longer be ignored,” said Lauren Bonds, the police accountability group’s executive director.
One of the five defendants covered by the lawsuit had been held in a county jail for 13 months facing criminal threat charges when the lawsuit was filed. That’s longer than the maximum prison sentence for a conviction on that charge.
“Remaining in the jail environment is devastating and deeply harmful even for those whose mental health is not in question, and condemning Kansans to languish across the state in their county jails was contradictory to our values of justice,” said Monica Bennett, the ACLU of Kansas’ legal director.
State officials argued that they already had been addressing the long waits. The state began having Larned State Hospital officials operate a mobile evaluation unit in 2019; and in 2022, the Legislature passed a law to allow other qualified hospitals and organizations to examine criminal defendants.
The state and Wichita’s home county hope to start construction early next year on a secure, $101.5 million psychiatric hospital with 104 beds, half of them set aside for the state. Federal COVID-19 relief dollars provided part of the funding.
KDADS spokesperson Cara Sloan-Ramos said the department and Gov. Laura Kelly are committed to reducing wait times.
Republican state Rep. Stephen Owens, chair of the House committee handling criminal justice issues, was pleased that the state could settle the lawsuit.
“We’ve certainly been aware of this issue and have been working on solutions,” Owens said Tuesday.
Kansas
Revisiting 5 Bills to watch vs. the Chiefs
The Buffalo Bills pulled off a 30-21 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11, ending Kansas City’s unbeaten streak to start the season and inching closer to the one seed in the AFC Playoffs. While Buffalo may still be behind the Chiefs, all it takes now is a tie between the two clubs to give the Bills the advantage.
The Bills weren’t perfect on Sunday, but what they were was good enough to come out with their ninth win of the season. It took a fantastic defensive effort, a consistent offensive attack, and contributions from everyone on special teams, as well (shoutouts specifically to punt returner Brandon Codrington and punter Sam Martin).
Those specialists weren’t among our five players to watch this week, but those players who were all contributed in pretty big fashion. Here’s how our five Bills to watch performed against the Chiefs.
RB James Cook
The Chiefs made a concerted effort to slow Cook down, and in terms of his efficiency numbers, they were successful. Cook carried nine times for just 20 yards, and while he made five catches, he gained only seven yards on those grabs. It was clear that Kansas City wanted to keep him contained and force the Bills into 3rd & Long situations. They did that, yet the Bills and superhuman quarterback Josh Allen were still able to put up a 30-spot — the first time that’s happened to the Chiefs since the 2022 season. Cook contributed quite a lot in this one, though, as he scored both of Buffalo’s first-half touchdowns. He punctuated the Bills’ first scoring drive with a three-yard touchdown on a stretch run, and then he scored Buffalo’s second touchdown on the day by bulling his way into the end zone from six yards away. Cook was RB2 in terms of snaps — Ty Johnson led the way this time around — but he remained RB1 in terms of quantity of touches. Credit Kansas City for doing a good job limiting him, but they couldn’t keep him out of the end zone.
RG O’Cyrus Torrence
The second-year man was tasked with blocking Chris Jones, perenially one of the best defensive tackles in the league. It wasn’t always pretty, and it didn’t work on every play, but Torrence was often trusted to block Jones solo. He and the rest of Buffalo’s offensive line, which included first-time starter Ryan Van Demark, kept Josh Allen on his feet all day. In fact, it was only the second time Kansas City’s defense hasn’t notched a sack in a game since the start of the 2022 season. The other time was also against Allen and the Bills. Torrence looked great in what was arguably the biggest test of his young career.
EDGE Von Miller
Buffalo’s defensive front showed up in a big way this week. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was under constant duress, as the Bills hit him seven times and sacked him twice. One of those two sacks went to Miller, who was consistently pressuring Mahomes on his 21 defensive snaps. Ed Oliver showed up, as did Greg Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa. Really, it was a total team effort on the defensive side of the ball. Miller looks spry and fully recovered from that ACL tear he suffered in 2022. He had two tackles and that big third-down sack.
LB Terrel Bernard
Perhaps it’s no coincidence that tight end Travis Kelce had his worst game against the Bills with Mahomes playing quarterback in the same game that Bernard was healthy and ready to go. Maybe it’s Father Time catching up to him. In any case, Bernard was a big factor in this one, as he expertly switched between playing zone and playing man, but also between playing blitzer and playing spy. The interplay between Bernard and Dorian Williams, who was caught in a bad spot on Xavier Worthy’s touchdown grab but was otherwise spectacular, was on full display Sunday. The next time these two teams meet, Bernard will likely be back with Matt Milano, as well. Bernard had a team-high eight tackles to go with a sack and a game-sealing interception in the fourth quarter.
CB Rasul Douglas
The big veteran had one drive where the Chiefs picked on him a bit, as they isolated him on Worthy a few times in the first quarter and used the rookie’s speed to their advantage. Otherwise, Douglas and the Bills’ corners were outstanding, forcing Mahomes to throw to players not named Kelce or DeAndre Hopkins, which was exactly the game plan for head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich. Douglas managed three tackles on the night, but he also had a funny moment when Mahomes was trying to draw the Bills offside. He started jawing at the Chiefs’ sideline, and then after Mahomes ran away from the formation when the delay of game penalty was called, Douglas chased after him and had a few words. He and Mahomes seemed to be having a good time jawing at each other. It’s that kind of attitude and ability that Buffalo missed in the playoffs, as Douglas was hampered by a knee issue in January. At full health, he showed exactly why the Bills brought him in last year.
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