Chiefs 25 Bengals 17
We are on to next year. In more ways than one. The loss, coupled with the Steelers 30-23 win over the Seahawks, eliminated the Bengals (8-8) from playoff contention.
The Bengals dominated time of possession early and took a 17-7 2nd quarter lead. But the Chiefs chunked away with explosive plays and eventually took an early 4th quarter lead they would not relinquish…..scoring the final 18 points of the game.
Following Jake Browning’s 2nd quarter TD for a 17-7 lead, the Bengals offense went: Punt, End of half, Downs, Punt, Punt, Punt, Downs… the rest of the way.
Yards per play: Chiefs 53 for 373 (7.0).....Bengals 71 for 263 (3.7)
Offense
Game changer: Leading 17-13 and facing 4th & 1 at KC 6 yard line with 7:47 left 3rd quarter, Zac Taylor elected to go for it, bringing in Cody Ford as a 6th OL. But Joe Mixon was stuffed for a three yard loss. They had driven 11 plays/74 yards. After Mixon was stopped: 4 possessions: punt, punt, punt, downs. 19 snaps. 6-13 passing, 73 yds. 5 sacks (-37 yards), 1 rush (2 yards), outscord 12-0 (4 FG)
Last chance: Trailing 25-17 with 90-seconds left, Browning converted a 4th & 18 with a 23 yard pass to Tyler Boyd. But the Bengals drive ended at their 38 on a 4th & 27 incompletion with 1:07 left.
Jailbreak: KC teed off with 6 sacks…..including 4 in a 5 snap sequence late.
Keep away: Bengals ran 26 of the first 33 plays and 33 of 43 in scoring a FG, TD TD in leading time of possession 19:31 to 4:06.
Halftime: Bengals 21:50, 41 plays/183 yards…..Chiefs 8:10,19 plays/163 yards.
Browning: 19-33-197-TD, 6 sacks, QB rating 85.0. He rushed for three 1st downs…3rd & 8, 3rd & 1, 2nd & 6 on the opening TD drive.
Run, run, run: 24 first half rushing attempts, a Zac Taylor high, per Jay Morrison. Total: 32-104.
The trio: Chase 3-41, Boyd 2-29, Higgins 1-19.
Openers: 15 play, 59 yard drive, 8:29 opening drive ended in McPherson 34-yd FG.
Tee time: Tee Higgins left with a hamstring injury on the first drive. He did return to begin the 3rd quarter and drew a 30-yard PI call on 3rd & 9.
Defense
They forced six consecutive FG….including a 24-yarder for KC 1st lead 19-17 w/ 14:00 left…a 48-yarder with 6:00 left to make it 22-17….and a 46-yarder with 2:59 remaining to push the deficit to 25-17.
Explosions: 6 more plays 20+ yards (225 total yards). Jordan Battle’s missed tackle led to a 37-yard run by Pacheco and a FG to end the half. Pacheco also had a 35 yard run. Justin Watson hauled in a 41-yard catch on 3rd & 5. Rashee Rice had a 24-yard catch. Rice added a 6)-yard catch. That’s 63 passes of 20+ yards this season.
Big conversion: With KC leading 19-17 with 9:00 left, and 4th & 1 at the Bengals 36, Mahomes scrambled for a 1st down. A FG extended their lead to 22-17.
Stripper: Trey Hendrickson strip sacked Mahomes (17th) and Sam Hubbard recovered at the KC 24. The offense turned it into a TD.
Poor start: Chiefs went 75 yards on 7 plays for a 1st possession TD….thanks to more poor tackling and bad angles.
TFL: Mike Hilton recorded his10th tackle for loss, most by a slot corner this season.
Also a nice 3rd & 7 wrap up of Pacheco to force a 27-yard FG (17-16).
Special Teams
The first punt (Brad Robbins) of the game, for either team, came at 2:09 of 1st half.
Never seen that before: KC punt returner Richie James fielded a 51-yard punt in the end zone and he returned to the 9.
Miscellaneous
Bengals drop to 18-1 in their last 19 games when building a lead of at least 10 points.…..27-3 under Zac Taylor….per Jay Morrison, Pro Football Network
Bengals fall to 7-2 when leading at halftime this year, 16-3 going back to last season.
Feisty: Ja’Marr Chase and L'Jarius Sneed pushed and shoved and drew offsetting penalties early on. They jawed walking off at halftime. A 3rd & goal PI on Sneed vs Chase set up a TD.
The Bengals have started the same 5 OL for 16 games in a season for the second time in franchise history (1985)….per Jay Morrison, Pro Football Network