Lessons the KC Chiefs Can Take Into Sunday’s AFC Championship Game Against Cincinnati Bengals

The AFC Championship Sport on Sunday would be the fourth assembly between the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals for the reason that starting of 2022. The Bengals are 3-0 within the earlier three conferences, together with final 12 months’s AFC Championship Sport, successful all three contests by three factors. 

Whereas looking for their first win on this current rivalry, the Chiefs had been initially the underdogs for the primary time on this sequence. Whereas the road has been transferring, this presents a novel alternative for Kansas Metropolis to play the “doubters” card and present why they’re the highest canines within the AFC this week.

The main query mark heading into Sunday is Patrick Mahomes’s well being. He left the Chiefs’ first playoff sport of this 12 months with an ankle harm earlier than returning for the second half. He was hampered whereas on the market, however all indicators level to him enjoying in opposition to the Bengals. The excellent news for Kansas Metropolis is that there are methods to gameplan round having a less-mobile Mahomes.

That plan will begin with the working sport. Andy Reid is infamous for preferring to go and shying away from the run sport. The reliance on Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon goes to be crucial. Within the Week 13 assembly between these two groups, the Chiefs had success on the bottom — even with out arguably their greatest offensive lineman in Joe Thuney. Each Pacheco and McKinnon averaged greater than 4.5 yards per carry. Reid ought to lean on the bottom sport early to decelerate the Bengals’ skill to get after Mahomes.

Outdoors of Travis Kelce, Pacheco and McKinnon stands out as the Chiefs’ most vital offensive talent gamers, together with within the passing sport. The Bengals have proven an inclination to drop eight into protection in opposition to the Chiefs. They did this within the second half of final 12 months’s AFC Championship Sport and gave the offense issues. Mahomes wasn’t keen to take the check-down that day. Nonetheless, he has proven that he will achieve this this season. Getting the ball out to the working backs in area when nobody is open downfield shall be key to extending drives.

Just like check-downs, the short passing sport must be used lots. With the attainable return of Mecole Hardman and the emergence of Kadarius Toney, the Chiefs have playmakers who could make performs with the ball of their fingers. Count on the Chiefs to run lots of pop passes, jet sweeps and screens to let their playmakers work to take strain off of Mahomes. The Bengals have but to see the Chiefs this season with both Hardman or Toney, which can provide them an edge on this matchup.

Switching over to the defensive facet of the ball, all of it begins up entrance. In that Week 13 assembly, the Chiefs’ line of defense performed considered one of its worst video games this season. The entrance barely acquired strain on Joe Burrow and sacked him simply as soon as. That one sack got here on the finish of the sport, the place Burrow went right down to hold the clock working. The line of defense must be at its peak to place Kansas Metropolis in one of the best place to win. Chris Jones has been the Chiefs’ greatest defensive participant this season and can possible get many of the consideration from Cincinnati. Meaning Frank Clark, George Karlaftis, Carlos Dunlap and the opposite pass-rushers should win their one-on-one matchups.

Although the line of defense performed poorly, they weren’t the worst unit on protection that week. The Chiefs’ linebackers, to place it flippantly, had been horrible. Burrow and the Bengals’ weapons took advance of their struggles over and over. They had been passive in opposition to the run and allowed Cincinnati to achieve additional yards with poor tackling. The linebackers performed on their heels in go protection and had been exploited in protection all through all the sport. The younger unit should play at the next stage on Sunday to stop a repeat efficiency.

Everybody is aware of the energy of the Bengals is their passing assault with their deadly weapons mixed with their elite quarterback. In that earlier sport in Cincinnati, the secondary performed very properly, particularly in man. The Chiefs have been a major zone crew this 12 months, but they need to play extra man protection on this matchup. The Bengals sliced up the Buffalo Payments’ mushy zones in final week’s Divisional Spherical matchup. 

Enjoying passive and afraid in opposition to the Bengals’ offense will enable them to march up and down the sphere. Kansas Metropolis has to take the battle to them and may play press and man protection for many of the sport. Belief the defensive backs to carry up in protection and make the throwing home windows tighter, as Burrow likes to get the ball out rapidly. If the Chiefs can do this, in addition to observe a couple of different keys, they’ve a great probability of snagging their first win on this ongoing sequence.