LSU tandem shine in Cincinnati as the Bengals snap the Chiefs eight-game winning streak with an offensive showcase, while some Chiefs were able to make key plays
Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase
Chase stole the show today with a gigantic performance, likely winning fantasy football championships by himself. Whether it was a short or deep route, he turned it into a big gain for the Bengals.
The first-round rookie finished with 266 yards and three touchdowns in a historic victory. The Bengals won and clinched the AFC North for the first time since 2015.
Chase closed out his performance by capitalizing on his outside matchup with Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward. It was third and 27 with three minutes left, the Chiefs blitzed and left Ward alone with Chase for a 30-yard completion. Chase has 13 touchdowns as a rookie and has been an immediate receiving threat in this league. Their selection of trusting his connection with Burrow, rather than investing in pass protection with their first-round selection has appeared to be successful so far.
Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes
An underrated part of Mahomes’ performance was his ability to avoid pressure and not be sacked. Mahomes wasn’t sacked at all against a pass rush led by Pro Bowl selection Trey Hendrickson. The first half showed a near untouchable offense. 28 points in the first half still left a little more on the table in this shootout for Kansas City.
A deep pass late in the second quarter to Tyreek Hill was broken up late that cost the Chiefs at least a field goal attempt before halftime. But after the first quarter explosion with two Darrel Williams touchdowns the offense stalled. The Chiefs had several opportunities to extend their lead in the second half, but only managing to score a field goal in the half led to their eventual loss.
Bengals Quarterback Joe Burrow
Burrow connected well with his college teammate Chase for those 3 touchdowns and nearly 250 yards. Burrow displayed a lot of toughness playing through four sacks and numerous pressures. The second-year quarterback threw for four touchdowns and nearly 450 passing yards.
The former Heisman Trophy winner has played historically the last two weeks. Totaling eight touchdowns and 971 passing yards with zero interceptions. Burrow is leading the Bengals at the right time ahead of his first postseason appearance.
Chiefs Defensive Tackle Chris Jones
Jones totaled two sacks and was able to create pressure on Burrow. The Chiefs’ defense totaled four sacks in the game but certainly not one to write home about compared to other performances. Going into this game, the Chiefs allowed just 12.9 points per game during its eight-game winning streak. But the dominant performance from Chase helped propel the Bengals’ offense. The pass rush was able to be effective at times, but coverage mistakes along with penalities were the ultimate downfalls.
The Chiefs are now out of the No. 1 seed to the Tennessee Titans with a week to go in the regular season.
