The Christmas Day poor performance didn’t carry over to New Year’s Eve as the Kansas City Chiefs handled business at Arrowhead Stadium, clinching their eighth straight AFC West division title. The 25-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals guarantees the Chiefs a home game in the postseason.
Patrick Mahomes turned the ball over early, leading to Bengals points and giving unfortunate flashbacks to Monday’s problems against the Las Vegas Raiders. He returned to form with a solid performance through the air while complementing the offensive star of the game, Isiah Pacheco. Rashee Rice has planted his flag firmly as the best wide receiver on this year’s team with another productive game.
The defense successfully applied pressure to the Bengals’ passing game and got into the head of wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Justin Reid played tremendous coverage and collected two sacks on Cincinnati’s last drive, while George Karlaftis added two quarterback takedowns of his own. The unit shut the door on any potential comeback, sealing the much-needed victory.
The victory puts Kansas City in the postseason, with the third seed secured and the regular season finale next week in Los Angeles.
Here’s a look at how the stock is trending for some players after the Week 17 win at Arrowhead Stadium:
Stock Up: Isiah Pacheco
Pacheco carried the Chiefs’ offense throughout the game with 18 carries for 130 yards, seven catches for 35 yards, and the lone Chiefs touchdown.
Stock Up: Harrison Butker
Butker nailed five field goals. He accounted for the last 15 points of the game. He was consistent and reliable, building confidence heading into the postseason.
Stock Up: Rashee Rice
The Chiefs clinched the division title while locking in Rice as their top wide receiver moving forward into the postseason. The rookie hauled a team-leading five catches for 127 yards in the victory.
Stock Up: Justin Reid
Reid was consistent in the secondary against the top deep threats of the Bengals while collecting two critical sacks on Cincinnati’s last drive. He also finished with seven tackles, ranking second on the team in the win.
Stock Down: Marquez Valdes-Scantling
It was another rough game for the veteran receiver as he dropped two more noticeable passes in the victory. The one catch for three yards wasn’t enough to calm the many critics on social media, who weighed in negatively throughout the game.
