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Bengals 27 Chiefs 24....holy crap, what a game
In a colossal clash of titans at Paycor Stadium the Bengals defense rose up when needed, the offensive line protected and blocked from jump and the Bengals rallied from a 4th quarter deficit to beat the Chiefs for a third consecutive time 27-24. The Bengals move to 8-4 and have won 4 in a row, 6 of 7 and 8 of 10.
It was a wildly entertaining and stressful day of high level football as the Bengals beat the Chiefs for the third time in 2022. The Bengals become the first team to beat Patrick Mahomes three consecutive times.
Biggest moments:
Trailing 24-20 with 13:52 left in the game, Germaine Pratt took the ball away from Travis Kelce after a catch at the Bengals 46-yard line. The offense marched into the red zone, overcame a redzone hold by Ted Karras, and Chris Evans caught an 8-yard TD from Burrow for a 27-24 lead with 8:54 left. It was 1 of 2 offensive snaps that Evans played on the day.
Leading 27-24 with 3:19 left, Joseph Ossai sacked Mahomes on 3rd and 3 at the Bengals 33-yard line and forced a 55-yard FG that missed. Ossai had come on for a gassed Trey Hendrickson on the snap.
Leading 27-24 and facing 3rd and 11 at the KC 28 with 1:59 left, Joe Burrow fired a 14-yard dart to Tee Higgins who snatched it for a first down to seal the game. It was a pretty ballsy play call from Zac Taylor.
Offense: 431 yards
OL, O....yea: It was a hell of a performance from the OL. They did not allow a sack until the final drive and led the way on 34 rushes for 152 yards (4.5). Burrow was hit one other time. KC came in with 35 sackes, including 10 players with at least 2. That's two sacks allowed the last two weeks vs Titans/Chiefs.
The Bengals scored on their first two possessions to take a 14-3 lead early in the 2nd quarter. But KC scored TDs on three consecutive drives to lead the Bengals 24-17 in the 4th quarter.
Burrow: 25-31, 286 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 1 sack. QB rating 126.1. KC didn't breath on him until the final drive. He has 9 TD passes on 3rd down this season/0 INT and 9 4th quarter TD. He rushed for 46 yards and a TD, including a 16 yards rumble behind the blocking of Perine. He connected with 8 different receivers.
Money time....From down 24-17 on the drive into the 4th QT until the end of the game: Burrow went 11 of 13, 112 yards, TD, with completions/yards of Perine 4-34, Chase 3-38, Irwin 1-12, Boyd 1-6, Evans 1-8, TD, Higgins 1-14.
Power: Samaje Perine got the start, with Joe Mixon unable to go (concussion). 21 carries/106 yards (5.0).....his first 100 yard game since rookie season of 2017. He added 6 targets on 7 targets for 49 yards. He totaled 155 yards of offense.
He's back: Ja'Marr Chase 7 catches/97 yards on 8 targets. His first target/catch was a 7-yarder to convert 3rd and 2 with 2:26 left in the 1st quarter. He had a 40-yard catch/run crosser late in the half. His hip looked fine on a spectacular one-hand leaping catch, but he came down out of bounds.
Brutal: Leading 14-10 and facing 4th & inches at the KC three-yard line with :51 left in the first half, Taylor went for it. Burrow appeared to audible out of the play and Trent Taylor was blown up on an end around by Carlos Dunlap. Burrow had been stuffed on a 3rd and 1 sneak. The Bengals are 2 for 10 on 4th down this year. The play felt like Eli Apple's big end of half tackle of Tyreek Hill in AFC title game. It was 14-10 Bengals at the half.
Momentum swiped: KC took the end of half momentum and marched 7 plays/77 yards for a TD to open the second half to take their first lead at 17-14. Mahomes completed a 42-yard pass on 3rd and 7 to extend the drive. Later, facing 4th and goal at the three, Andy Reid went for it and Mahomes broke the plane for a TD. Three straight TD drives. KC led 24-17 late 3rd.
Points left on the field by Bengals O: 15
End of half empty stop (7).
Tyler Boyd drop wide open TD pass/36-yard FG (4).
Settling for 41-yard field goal after Jonah Williams penalty (4).
Dissection Part 1: Bengals went 11 plays/75 yards in 6:11 to score on the opening drive of the game....completions to Hayden Hurst (2), Perine, Mitchell Wilcox and Tyler Boyd. 3 runs Perine. 2 runs Burrow, 5th rushing TD.
Dissection Part 2: Second drive of game was 9 plays/74 yards in 5:29. Tee Higgins capped it with 3rd & 8 2nd effort fight at goal line for TD......14-3 Bengals.
Defense:
Held Mahomes to 223 passing yards, snapping his streak of 6+ games of 300 yards or more. KC did rush for 138 yards on 25 carries (5.5).
DJ-does-it: DJ Reader's 3rd down pass bat down halted KC's opening drive from the Bengals 8-yard line and forced a 26-yard FG. Big red zone hold. Reader also had a run stop and a screen pass chase down on the drive.
Misses: After missing just one tackle vs the Titans, the defense missed several. JuJu Smith-Schuster broke a Cam Taylor-Britt tackle on a 4th and 3 catch to extend a 2nd quarter drive that would end with a Jerick McKinnon TD catch to cut the Bengals lead to 14-10. A Mahomes pass also fell tantalizingly between three Bengals defenders in the first half.
Mr. Sure Hands: Boyd didn't have a drop in the regular season last year or this year, until the TD drop.
Neutralized: Travis Kelce was held without a catch in the first half on two targets. 4 catches/56 yards.....and the game changing fumble.
Special Teams: Evan McPherson had five kickoffs returned. He was 2-2 FG, 3-3 PAT. Dru Chrisman 1 punt/40 yards.
Notes:
Injuries: Hayden Hurst injured his right calf and was done early in the 2nd quarter.
Chippy: KC was called for an early personal foul on a hit of Burrow. Chase was called for taunting. Reader was called for a personal foul.
Making the most of your snaps: Evans 2 snaps, TD catch, Ossai 12 snaps, 3rd down sack of Mahomes