Deja Vu: Chiefs And Bengals To Meet In AFC Championship

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The AFC Championship Game is now set. And everyone will be feeling a case of deja vu. The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Bills in Buffalo on Sunday afternoon. As a result, it will be the second consecutive season that we will get the Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Just like last season, it will take place at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

This will be the fourth total meeting between the Bengals and the Chiefs over the course of the last two years. Cincinnati has defeated Kansas City all three times over the last few meetings. The Bengals won tight contests in Cincinnati during each of the last two regular seasons. Of course, it was a horrific second half performance by the Chiefs that led to Kansas City blowing a lead to Cincy in last year’s AFC Championship Game.

Can the Bengals reach the Super Bowl for the second straight season? Or, will the Chiefs reach the Super Bowl for the third time in the last four years, overall? Time will tell after a highly anticipated matchup.

The Best Of The Best

For a multitude of reasons for each player, Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow are the two best quarterbacks in the AFC. Burrow may be the most confident, poised and instinctive passers among younger quarterbacks. Moreover, the LSU product operates in an extremely old-fashioned style, compared to other young passers. As for Mahomes, his athleticism, arm talent and ability to create off-script has helped usher in a new style of playing quarterback for kids growing up.

Despite being in the NFL a bit more than Burrow, along with possessing some impressive accolades, Mahomes has never defeated Burrow head-to-head. As mentioned above, the Bengals are 3-0 against the Chiefs during the last two years. Certain quarterback rivalries are evolving in the AFC. This particular one has the potential to be at the forefront for a long while.

Yet, Mahomes and the Chiefs are going to have to exorcise these demons at some point. It will likely take another gutsy performance for the Kansas City signal caller, though. He will enter this particular AFC Championship Game appearance with a bum ankle after the Divisional Round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Can his toughness finally give the Chiefs an edge against the Bengals?

Versatility Vs Adjustments

As we know about Cincinnati, the Bengals are an incredibly deep and versatile team. They can win with Burrow slinging it all over the yard. They can win with their defense creating confusion and takeaways. Or as we saw on Sunday against the Bills, the Bengals can play smashmouth football and dominate with the trenches and the running game.

Elsewhere, the Chiefs are a team that lives off of making the correct adjustments or not. It may not be as flashy as it was previously. Nonetheless, Kansas City has adjusted adequately in many facets this season. The Chiefs have shown a more methodical spread passing attack. The Chiefs have been able to run the football, when necessary. Furthermore, Kansas City has been able to adjust their defense for a younger core, while throwing in occasional wrinkles against opposing offenses. Overall, both teams are capable of playing games and winning them in different ways and multiple styles.

Gaining Momentum

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For the most part, each of these defenses are gaining momentum at the right time. The Bengals are probably the more complete defense, entering the AFC Championship Game. But, let’s not forget about some of the moments when this Chiefs defense has stepped up at the correct time. It has happened during the regular season this year. It has also happened during previous playoff runs, specifically with the veterans, to boot.

Cincinnati is both physical and quick upfront on the defensive line. They can rush the passer from plenty of different angles. On the other hand, the Bengals disguise and mix coverages eloquently. Opposing quarterbacks are forced to make split decisions, while still seeing different coverages on a snap-to-snap basis. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has truly become one of the more impressive defensive play callers in the league.

As for the Chiefs, Steve Spagnuolo is known for designing incredible blitz looks on crucial downs. He will mix coverages on occasion. However, Kansas City does not do that near as much as Cincinnati. The Chiefs will primarily run man coverage and look to press at the line of scrimmage. Perhaps, that technique may be a better answer than staying in zone coverage against Burrow. Can the Chiefs defense learn from the past mistakes they had against the Bengals?

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles and analysis throughout this week. 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.