Arkansas Bengal Posted December 30, 2023 Report Share Posted December 30, 2023 Blair Kerkhoff Sat, December 30, 2023 at 6:00 AM CST·4 min read With showdowns in each of the last two AFC Championship Games, the Chiefs and Bengals have provided some of the most dramatic matchups in the NFL over the past two seasons. Both games were decided by a field goal, with Cincinnati winning in an overtime walk-off two years ago and the Chiefs getting their game-winner in the final seconds last season. In regular-season games those years, the Bengals won twice ... each time by three points. Will things be different Sunday? The high stakes are high again. It’s not Super Bowl-for-the-winner big, but a triumph clinches a playoff berth for the Chiefs, while the Bengals’ postseason chances are greatly enhanced with victories in their final two games. Heading into Week 17, both teams have fallen short of expectation. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who has completed 79% of his passes against the Chiefs, was lost for the season after 10 games. Cincinnati is 3-2 with Jake Browning at quarterback (both losses to Pittsburgh) and 8-7 overall. Browning, a former Pac-12 player of the year at Washington, has been in the NFL since 2019 but hadn’t seen action until this season. “I don’t think they’ve changed a lot that way and the kid (Browning) has done a great job for them,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. The Chiefs are reeling, having lost four of six since their bye week and two straight. A Patrick Mahomes-quarterbacked Chiefs team has never dropped three in a row. And Cincinnati has given him plenty of trouble through the years. Including the playoffs, Mahomes has a losing record against just two teams, the Bengals and Indianapolis Colts. Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo remains wary of Mahomes and the Chiefs. “I know this, they’re the world champs,” Anarumo said. “They’re a prideful group and they’re going to look to get back on track and do what they do well. They’re going to chuck it down the field even more, in my opinion. I see them just really being aggressive and that’s not going to surprise me one bit.” Who knows? Maybe these teams will face one another in the postseason for a third straight year. This much is certain: They’ll meet in the regular season in 2024, once again in Kansas City. Here’s what to watch in Sunday’s game, which kicks off at 3:25 p.m: Bengals player to watch: cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt He’s missed the previous five games with a quad/ankle injury, but Taylor-Britt has been cleared to return. He has four interceptions in 10 games and had a solid showing against the Chiefs in last year’s AFC title contest. The Chiefs’ passing game has struggled compared to previous seasons, but perhaps wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling will experience some muscle memory. He had his best game in a Chiefs uniform that night, with six receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown. Chiefs player to watch: defensive tackle Chris Jones Jones ended a run of four games without a sack last week against the Raiders, pushing his season total to 8 1/2. He has two games to reach double-digit sacks. That would qualify Jones for a $1.25 million contract bonus. Jones came up big in last year’s playoff game against the Bengals. He had not recorded a postseason sack until getting two against Cincinnati, including a takedown of Joe Burrow that forced a punt on the Bengals’ final full possession. Special teams player to watch: Chiefs punter Tommy Townsend Can the Chiefs pull off a fake two weeks in a row? Townsend’s perfect pass to Justin Watson last week against the Raiders went for 11 yards and a first down. “We practiced that all week,” Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub said. “It’s a fake that we have because Tommy can throw the ball so well. “Those guys executed it unbelievably. The (Raiders) kind of knew it was coming. They defended it. The corner dropped back, and they defended the five-yard spot but (Watson) pressed it and made the play work.” https://news.yahoo.com/stake-kansas-city-chiefs-meet-120000344.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|High School Harry| Posted December 30, 2023 Report Share Posted December 30, 2023 I hope Tommy Townsend gets lots of chances to show his skills tomorrow. Like at the end of every Candy Ass City offensive possession. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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