Chiefs Vs Bengals: Final Headlines, X Factors

The AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals will feature two teams that are built rather similarly. You have two versatile pass catching arsenals. There are two instinctive secondaries. Most of all, the Chiefs and the Bengals each possess a quarterback that is ultra-confident and unafraid to attempt anything. There is still a feeling of this matchup being a well-oiled machine (Kansas City) vs a little engine that could (Cincinnati), however.

On one hand, Andy Reid’s team looks primed and ready for a third straight Super Bowl appearance. Zac Taylor’s team is not only trying to carry their steam to the Super Bowl. Though, Cincinnati is also battling the doubters and proving that they deserve a seat at the table against the AFC’s best team.

The Chiefs are also looking to extend their postseason revenge tour. Last week, Kansas City was able to avenge an ugly regular season loss to Buffalo and come through in crucial moments to end the Bills’ season. They also lost late in the regular season to these same Bengals in Cincinnati just a few weeks ago. It was a game that started strong for the Chiefs, only to lead to a collapse in the second half and a fuming loss, due to more than one issue. Can they get payback on the Bengals this time around?

What are the final headlines to watch for before Sunday’s kickoff? We will list those, as well as players to watch for, who could be viewed as under the radar x factors entering this matchup from both the Chiefs and the Bengals.

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Final Headlines

Can Bengals Protect Joe Burrow?

If you think the Bengals are dangerous now, just wait until they build a more stable offensive line. Jonah Williams is arguably the lone player that likely has a starting spot locked down for the long term future upfront for Cincinnati. And even that may be a stretch. To be fair, Quinton Spain and Trey Hopkins have made incremental improvements throughout points in the season. The Bengals are simply holding on for dear life with the duo on the right side, though, with Hakeem Adeniji and Isaiah Prince.

In the Divisional Round last week, the Bengals allowed a massive nine sacks against the Tennessee Titans. Many issues led to that pitiful result. The offensive line displayed confusion or lack of knowledge on what their blocking assignment actually entailed. When they were in position, blockers struggled with hand technique. And even as great as Joe Burrow is at diagnosing pressure and hot reads, he looked more thrown off on the disguised looks that Tennessee was showing.

We know that Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is one of the best at designing blitzes. He is not hesitant to use anyone, even whichever defensive back comes to mind. On top of that, Kansas City’s defense presents more explosiveness and speed in the front seven than they have in recent years. If the Bengals allow Burrow to get pressured as much as they did last week, this game could get ugly quickly.

Will Chiefs Secondary Redeem Themselves?

There are many ways in which the Chiefs secondary could redeem itself this Sunday. Last week, the usually trustworthy L’Jarius Sneed was rather shaky when covering in the short to intermediate passing game. Will he be able to clamp down more routes against another team that likes to spread the defense out?

Elsewhere, the rest of the secondary will likely be looking for some redemption, compared to their first showing against this particular opponent. Charvarius Ward must play much cleaner at the line of scrimmage, while also finding the ball quicker. He of course was the victim of the Ja’Marr Chase show the first time around. In that first meeting, Chase torched him for 11 receptions, 266 receiving yards and three touchdown catches. Rashad Fenton (back injury) is also expected to return to the lineup after missing the entire postseason so far. Can he limit the penalties and make quicker reactions at the catch point this time against Cincinnati?

Kansas City will also be tested from a schematic standpoint. Will they live dangerously in man coverage against Burrow once again? Or, does Spagnuolo look to flood different areas of the field with multiple players dropping into coverage? This group must answer the bell better against a deep pass catching group, following a shaky performance last week.

What Kind Of Pace Will Cincinnati Use Offensively?

Above, we mentioned how these two teams are actually built fairly similarly. There is actually a part of this Bengals offense that appears to fly under the radar. Like the Chiefs this season, Cincinnati’s offense can actually win games in multiple ways. They used tempo and deep passes to hit on explosive plays against Kansas City in late December. On the other hand, the poise of Burrow allows them to work underneath and methodically, if need be. Let’s not forget about one of the league’s best running backs in Joe Mixon. He can certainly handle a heavy dose in the rushing attack and is not afraid to barrel into defenders to get the job done.

So, which kind of pace will we see from the Bengals offense? On one hand, Mixon’s rushing ability and long-sustaining patience could keep Patrick Mahomes and the dangerous Chiefs offense on the sideline longer than Kansas City would want to.

There is also the chance that Burrow may have to produce rapidly through the air. After all, the Chiefs have scored 42 points in each of their playoff games so far this postseason. Kansas City has also averaged 36.5 points per game in home playoff games in the Mahomes era. Simply, you must light up the scoreboard, in order to down Mahomes in the playoffs at his own building.

Does Mahomes Continue To Work Underneath Areas In Passing Game?

This season, Mahomes had to adjust his style just a bit. He learned that forcing passes into certain areas was becoming too easy for opposing defenses to handle. The more he wanted to hit on the deep ball, the more prepared opponents were to take it away. An ugly stretch of turnovers, attempting to gel with a retooled offensive line and readjusting his navigation inside the pocket has all culminated into this recent hot stretch that Mahomes is enjoying marvelously.

Just in this postseason, the Chiefs quarterback is reminding people just how impeccable and flawless that he can be. The picture may look different. But, the results have still grown into what we are accustomed to seeing from Kansas City. His ball placement is still awe-inspiring at times. The release and anticipation with his passes are more urgent. Nevertheless, he has learned to be just as dangerous by using the quick passing game or working underneath in the intermediate areas.

In fact, Mahomes did not even attempt a single deep pass (20+ air yards) in last week’s Divisional Round. That was the first time where that had occurred all year long. He still produced 378 passing yards, a completion percentage of 75 percent, 90 percent of throws were on target, he had three touchdowns to zero interceptions and scored 42 points. Obviously, Mahomes has learned to win by taking what the defense is affording him. He just continues to zig on opposing defenses, when they are trying to zag.

X Factors

Chiefs Safety Juan Thornhill

Much of the attention will go to the Chiefs cornerbacks, when facing the deep Bengals wide receiver corps. However, safety Juan Thornhill could be the one player that is due to make a game changing play. He got beat deep last week. With the Bengals being able to test Kansas City vertically, it may be up to Thornhill to make one vital stop. It may come by staying over the top and making a pass breakup in close quarters. Or, Thornhill may be tested to jump a route on a longer down and distance. Will he be able to move out of the shadows, so to speak, and make a major bright spot against a challenging pass catching group?

Bengals Cornerback Eli Apple

The Bengals have done well to build a diverse and well-traveled secondary. One player to keep in mind, will be cornerback Eli Apple. He flamed out on a couple of teams as a young, developing player. In Cincinnati, the Ohio State product has displayed better situational awareness. There is also a greater attention to detail in his technique. Will he continue to improve and surprise against the eye candy that Kansas City’s offense presents?

Chiefs Defensive Tackle Jarran Reed

Jarran Reed may have been lost in the shuffle on occasion during the Chiefs regular season. Overall, Kansas City signed him this past offseason for moments like this. He has shown more comfort recently when rushing the passer. Reed did indeed record a sack last week. Meanwhile, his short area burst and power at the point of attack may be unmatched by a measly Bengals offensive line. That could work twofold in both pass defense and run defense.

Bengals Linebacker Logan Wilson

Quickly, the Bengals linebacker group has become a unit that opponents do not want to take lightly. Second year man Logan Wilson has continued to grow into becoming a do it all defender for this team. He is much quicker at reading and reacting to play flow this season. To boot, there appears to be more patience in space when dropping back into coverage. Wilson’s instinctiveness and tackling prowess could be a secret weapon against this Chiefs offense.

Chiefs Wide Receiver Demarcus Robinson

Currently, Demarcus Robinson is being used in an inconsistent role. The amount of snaps that he may garner could be limited. Nonetheless, Robinson has delivered more routinely in crucial moments as a pass catcher. He was able to generate yards after the catch in the Wild Card game a couple of weeks ago. More importantly, his drops and bobbles have resulted less often. Do not be surprised if Robinson is asked to win underneath late and on third down against a physical Bengals secondary.

Bengals Tight End CJ Uzomah

Every tight end seems to be a security blanket for their quarterback nowadays. Yet for CJ Uzomah, his chemistry with Burrow has grown immensely. That has helped improve the performances of each of those two players, let alone the Cincinnati offense. For a big bodied pass catcher, Uzomah is able to win deliberately. The Bengals have plenty of trust in him to make tough catches in traffic, especially in the red zone. 

Be on the lookout for our FPC Chiefs game reaction article following the AFC Championship Game. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.