The Kansas City Chiefs are gearing up to face the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Week 13. It’s the first time these two have played each other since the AFC title game last season.
Buy Chiefs TicketsTo learn more about Kansas City’s opponent, we spoke with managing editor Chris Roling over at Bengals Wire and asked him a few questions.
Chiefs Wire: The Bengals lost three of their first five games, but have won five of the last six. What's behind the early-season slump and the recent success?
Bengals Wire: So a lot goes into this. Joe Burrow had the ruptured appendix during camp. His line had four new starters that didn’t get a lot of time together during the summer. The offense installed an attack banking on the line being improved. Coaches tried to install a zone-based rushing attack. Simple time has helped squash some of the problems, while coaches admitting the gaffe and changing the schematics of the rushing attack smoothed over others. Even then, a few of the losses early were last-second field goals, including a loss in the opener to Pittsburgh that doesn’t happen if they don’t suffer a freak long-snapper injury.
Chiefs Wire: What do you make of the trash talk between Justin Reid and Ja'Marr Chase/Hayden Hurst? Will it provide any extra motivation on Sunday?
Bengals Wire: Not much, honestly. It’s doubtful Reid was intentionally getting too personal with it. Guys like Chase, generally at least, seem to have more fun with that sort of thing than anything. The Bengals used to thrive on being an underdog. Now, like we saw last week against the Titans, they’re finding motivation in that a few teams want revenge for what happened last year. The motivation level was already high just based on that.
Chiefs Wire: Cincy revamped their offensive line this offseason, but Joe Burrow is still one of the most-sacked QBs in the league. What gives there?
Bengals Wire: We touched on this a bit already but a serious lack of reps together for a unit resetting four of five spots didn’t help. The line then had to fight T.J. Watt, Micah Parsons and Quinnen Williams over the first month, to name a few. Tackles Jonah Williams and La’el Collins were horrendous to start, too. To the line’s credit (and Burrow getting more comfortable), the offense has let up just four sacks over its last three outings.
Chiefs Wire: Outside of the offensive line, what are the biggest personnel differences for the Bengals from the AFC title game last year to now?
Bengals Wire: The Bengals had maybe the least roster turnover of any team from a year ago. But the major thing that sticks out now is the season-ending injury to No. 1 corner Chidobe Awuzie. That means Eli Apple is the No. 1 while second-round pick Cam Taylor-Britt starts opposite. The former has been a tad underrated since joining the scheme in Cincinnati and the latter is coming around quickly, but it’s going to show up against a quarterback like Pat Mahomes.
Chiefs Wire: What’s your prediction for the game? Are the Chiefs getting their first win against Joe Burrow’s Bengals?
Bengals Wire: I tend to agree with oddsmakers and like the Chiefs in this one. It sort of just feels due, right? The Bengals seem like a team about to contend in the playoffs again. But they’re not catching anyone by surprise now and that gap at cornerback due to injury could show up on one or two critical game-swinging plays. Chiefs 27, Bengals 24
