(Photo: Cincy Jungle)
AFC Game Of The Week
Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs
Bengals: There’s always a team that lets me down each week during the season. Okay, I may have to rephrase that. I was disappointed in them and this is further proof that anyone can be defeated in this sport on Any Given Sunday. They had no excuse for losing that game to a New England Patriots team that’s nowhere close to being on the same level as them. I’ve been asked since that game on Sunday what exactly happened. Let’s get the Ja’Marr Chase talks out of the way first and as much as they don’t want to admit it, this is becoming a bigger distraction than they originally hoped for. From a football standpoint, they overlooked New England and what have many of you read on this site or heard me on the radio say? In this business, always focus on who’s in front of you. Who you are looking forward to will be on the schedule, no matter the result. The other day, I spoke with someone and she mentioned to me that the Cincinnati Bengals haven’t been the same team since they were in the Super Bowl and she was right. The biggest threat to this football team is health. I remember them getting off to a rocky start last season, but slowly started to find their rhythm and won four in a row before losing Joe Burrow for the remainder of the year with a wrist injury. Joe is the Quarterback many people label Lamar Jackson to be. Everyone says Lamar can never stay healthy, but Joe has missed the remainder of a season twice in his career already. The consistent issue with this team has been their Offensive Line and if they don’t get this fixed soon, Burrow will retire early just as Andrew Luck did in 2019. It’s week two and they will face the cream of the crop in the NFL this Sunday.
Chiefs: At this point, I’ve run out of things to say about them. Thursday against the Baltimore Ravens wasn’t their best performance at all, but when you’re battle-tested and have championship pedigree as they do, they’re never out of a football game and can win anything no matter the deficit or the efforts on the field may be sloppy. The great teams find ways and that’s exactly what they did last week. As I usually do, I found myself making comparisons and there were two that came to mind with Patrick Mahomes. One, what he’s done since becoming the Chiefs starting Quarterback has been nothing less than amazing. His run these last few years has been reminiscent of Michael Jordan and let me explain before I get crushed in the comments. Just like the GOAT, Patrick has prevented many great players from winning championships and has eliminated them in the playoffs. He beat Jalen Hurts, he’s owned Josh Allen in the playoffs, eliminated Lamar Jackson last season and even got one against Joe Burrow. From a mentality standpoint, Patrick reminds me of Derek Jeter. Just like the baseball Hall of Famer, he’s never phased by any big moment and does the little things consistently which has made him great. The Chiefs are already a dynasty and will continue to add until a team matches up to beat them. The Quarterback has proven you can subtract a weapon and he’ll still find a way to work with what he has around him. This is exactly why they’re the favorites to do what no team has ever done in NFL history which is three-peat. This Sunday, they welcome a familiar team to Arrowhead.
Bengals X-Factor: Sheldon Rankins– He’s been around for quite some time. Last season, he was a member of the Houston Texans. In the off-season, the Bengals signed him to help fill the void D.J. Reader left when he signed with the Detroit Lions. Sheldon can power and navigate himself through all the clutter and traffic, yet still get home to the Quarterback. He also drives and pushes Offensive Linemen into the pocket. Because of the presence he commands, others can stunt and get home. Sheldon is a powerful man in the trenches.
Chiefs X-Factor: Isiah Pacheco– If the Patriots could establish the run against this Bengals defense, what makes you think the Kansas City Chiefs won’t? It’s okay to follow other team’s blueprints. Isiah is that angry runner who wants the contract to come his way. Many of his peers around the league Isiah is the guy that says “Watch me and how quick I am” and there he is showing his speed. I’ve always liked his mindset. I’m running through you and it doesn’t matter what you’re trying to do. If he’s at point an and needs to get to point b, he will get there.
Final Thoughts: I’ve had the privilege of previewing the first four matchups between Mahomes and Burrow. I’ve enjoyed every single one. Ja’Marr Chase exploded for 266 yards against the Chiefs in 2022 and a few weeks later, the Bengals upset the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. That same year, they handed Mahomes and company another loss. Patrick would then get his revenge in the AFC title game en route to another Super Bowl title. All Summer, I was saying if there was any team that could be a threat to the Chiefs, it was the Bengals. However, they haven’t seen this version of the Chiefs. I’m talking about the team that plays with balance offensively and the defense can get the job done as well. The Bengals must get some type of push up the middle to impact Mahomes. I expect Cincy to be fired up for this game. One matchup I’m watching is the Bengals’ interior Offensive Linemen against Chris Jones. Last week, the Bengals gave up three sacks to a team without their best pass rusher. Just what exactly do you think the Chiefs will do? Every game between these two has been a closely contested battle and we’ll see the same on Sunday. The Chiefs win a tight game that comes down to the fourth quarter.
Prediction: Chiefs 24, Bengals 21
