Photo Courtesy: All-Pro Reels
By DaVince “Dino” Wright
Game Info
Cincinnati Bengals vs Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday – January 29 – 5:30 p.m.
TV: CBS
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City, MO
Records Before the Game
Cincinnati Bengals (12-4, 6-3 Away)
Kansas City Chiefs (14-3, 7-1 Home)
This is the game that everyone in the AFC has been waiting for. Sure, you could’ve plugged in the Chargers or Bills, but this game just make sense. The young hungry Bengals made it to the Super Bowl last season before falling to the Rams. The Chiefs lost at home against this young Bengals team that was hungrier than the Chiefs last year. Let’s take a closer look at this year’s AFC Championship game in Kansas City.
Quarterback Play is the Key
Last week Kansas City’s signal caller Patrick Mahomes was injured on a play breaking containment. He will be the key for the Chiefs high powered offense in this one. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will need to get the ball in the hands of his play makers early and often. This game will come down to who plays mistake free ball.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals are making some heavy noise! This young team has abundant talent from all three phrases: defense, offense and special teams. The Bengals offense is averaging 26.1 points per game while the defense is only giving up 13.5 on that side of the ball. I shared earlier in this article about quarterback play, but for the Bengals their x-factor will be their defense. The defensive line is stingy and physical. They are in the top 10 in takeaways, interceptions and tackles for loss. The Bengals defense will have their hands full with Mahomes even if he’s only on one leg.
Kansas City Chiefs
We can talk about Patrick Mahomes all day long. He is one of the league’s most intriguing players. His play alone would lead this team to a victory. The x-factor for the Chiefs will be the run game. Rookie Isiah Pacheco has 830 rushing yards on 170 attempts with 5 touchdowns. His has big play ability carrying the ball between the tackles and on the outside of the line makes him a legitimate threat that defenses have to honor. The Chiefs defense will need to apply pressure on Joe Burrow and not allow him to sit in the pocket and go through his progressions.
Prediction
ESPN has the Chiefs with a 65.2% chance of winning this game and heading to the Super Bowl. The over/under is 47.5, so take the over in this one. I’m taking the Chiefs by 10!
Final Score
Chiefs – 38
Bengals – 28
