The Cincinnati Bengals have knocked out the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, the heavyweights of the AFC, 3 times within the 2022 calendar yr.

How are the Chiefs 0-3 towards the Bengals however 21-5 towards everybody else since Opening Day of 2021?

“They only have a well-put-together crew,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes mentioned. “They’ve received playmakers throughout there. They’re well-coached. They’ve an excellent protection.”

That underrated protection incorporates a sturdy defensive position led by Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard on the sting and DJ Reader and BJ Hill on the inside.

Hendrickson had three quarterback hits Sunday, and it’s why the Bengals signed him to a four-year, $60 million contract previous to final season and Reader to a four-year, $53 million deal the yr earlier than that.

Due to that defensive position, they will generate strain with 4 and never should blitz. And blitizing Mahomes is commonly a recipe for catastrophe.

Going into Week 11, Mahomes had been blitzed on simply 19% of his dropbacks in his profession, the one quarterbacks to face a sub-22% blitz fee since 2018, per Zebra Applied sciences
ZBRA
.

The Bengals have two of the higher safeties in Vonn Bell and free-agent-to-be Jessie Bates III and a cornerback, Mike Hilton, whose 5-9, 184-pound measurement belies his bodily enjoying model. (Hilton — like Hendrickson and Reader — was added to the protection within the final three offseasons and helped information them to Tremendous Bowl LVI.)

These versatile defensive backs allowed them to combine coverages Sunday. And in final yr’s AFC Championship Recreation upset, they emphasised taking away the deep cross and utilizing a “robber security,” who moved on the snap in an try to confuse Mahomes.

“They dropped eight and performed man protection and had a thief participant rolling round in there,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid mentioned. “They usually executed nicely.”

On offense the Bengals have two apparent instruments to take down the Chiefs: A superb quarterback and an elite receiver.

Much like Mahomes, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow excels towards the blitz. And the Chiefs protection all season has completely relied on blitzing to attempt to hurry the quarterback, making it a nasty matchup.

The consequence was a fairly flawless recreation by Burrow who threw solely six incompletions, together with a bad drop by Tyler Boyd, on 31 cross makes an attempt in Sunday’s 27-24 victory whereas scoring three touchdowns.

“They’ve received an awesome quarterback that’s gained loads of soccer video games,” Mahomes mentioned. “He’s somebody who competes to the very finish.”

Burrow’s go-to goal and former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase as soon as once more burned the Chiefs, as he has performed previously.

Although he committed a dumb taunting penalty, Chase led all receivers with 97 yards within the newest Bengals’ victory. And when the Bengals completely needed to have a primary down — third and 5 with 2:55 left whereas nursing a three-point lead — he transformed versus rookie Trent McDuffie.

Chase is a infamous Chiefs killer, having torched them for 11 catches, 266 yards and three touchdowns in last-year’s regular-season win.

Whereas the Bengals’ No. 1 possibility was having his method with the Chiefs, the Chiefs’ No. 1 possibility, Travis Kelce, had his worst recreation of what has been a spectacular season.

He had no catches within the first half, and his fourth-quarter fumble led to the Bengals’ drive on the game-winning rating.

“They attempt to take Travis away,” Mahomes mentioned.

The Bengals additionally know that it’s important to be methodical on offense to maintain Mahomes off the sphere. They ran the ball 34 instances and transformed seven-of-11 third downs, permitting them to win the time of possession and restrict the Chiefs to only 54 performs on Sunday. (Additionally they had six extra minutes of time of possession within the AFC Championship Recreation.)

“You noticed the offense,” Mahomes mentioned. “Though they’ve these playmakers, they’ll take their time and form of make the most of clock.”

That helped the Bengals win the sport the Chiefs had circled on their calendar.

Chris Jones, who was glorious on a goal-line stand earlier than the top of the primary half, even referred to as shedding to the Bengals to finish final season “the driving power” of his offseason.

“Clearly, anytime any person beats you the yr earlier than, you wish to beat them,” Mahomes mentioned, “particularly in recreation like they beat us in to go to the Tremendous Bowl.”

As an alternative the Chiefs misplaced to the Bengals once more by three — the identical margin of every of their earlier defeats.

Reid pointed to that three-point distinction, disregarding any speak that the Bengals appeared to have the Chiefs’ quantity.

“I don’t really feel that method,” Reid mentioned. “This one got here proper down the top.”