All Bengals Staff Makes Picks For Week 13 Showdown With Kansas City Chiefs
CINCINNATI — The Bengals are hoping to beat the Chiefs and improve to 8-4 on the season to keep pace in the AFC Playoff race. They're home underdogs this week.
Will they beat Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and company? Here are our staff predictions:
Elise Jesse, All Bengals Insider
Season Record: 7-4
The Bengals are once again playing meaningful football in December and you can bet Kansas City will come in with an edge and looking to exact some revenge on Cincinnati after last year’s AFC Championship game. It’s one of the biggest games of the weekend featuring two star-studded rosters and I think Cincy has enough juice on offense, especially with the potential return of Ja’Marr Chase. I’m very interested to see how Andy Reid coaches this game and what he dials up in attempt to stop Chase. who dropped 266 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns on them a year ago.
I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Reid addressed Justin Reid over the bulletin board material unleashed this week. That type of stuff doesn’t fly with coach Reid and I know for a fact that Chase and Hurst didn’t appreciate it. I don’t anticipate Reid locking anybody down on Sunday knowing that the Chiefs rank 21st in pass defense.
The pressure will be on both defenses with such high powered offenses taking the stage. K.C. Will look to score early and Lou Anarumo’s crew much be ready for a team that averages 430 yards of total offense.
Prediction: Bengals 24, Chiefs 21
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Russ Heltman, All Bengals Contributor
Season Record: 6-5
The Bengals face their biggest test of the year against a Chiefs team that's won five games in a row. The last time K.C. won five in a row? Roughly a year ago, right before the Bengals beat them 34-31 in the regular season.
This game comes down to the defenses. I'm confident Joe Burrow and Mahomes will keep playing like the top-five QBs they've been all season.
Both will move the ball and keep up the consistent offensive output, but the Bengals win on both sides of the red zone coin and win the game.
Kansas City's defense is the worst red-zone defense in the NFL, allowing a touchdown on 70.6% of drives. Now they face a Bengals offense ranked second on the season (71.43% TD rate) and first since Week 4 (87%). The Chiefs offense is great themselves (65.31%, sixth), but face a Bengals defense just as good in the red area (50%, sixth on defense).
That's where Burrow's surgical precision comes in.
He leads the NFL in completion rate on red zone plays since Week 4. Burrow also owns the moment in these big games. He's 15-4 against the spread (K.C. two-point favorites) vs. teams above .500 straight up. In the last 20 seasons, he’s the sixth-most profitable QB ATS vs. above .500 teams, behind Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, and Peyton Manning.
Cincinnati's franchise quarterback joins Brady on Sunday as the only passers to beat Mahomes three times.
Prediction: Bengals 38, Chiefs 35
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Nicole Zembrodt, All Bengals Contributor
Season Record: 7-4
This could end up becoming a great rivalry. After stunning Kansas City twice last year, can Cincinnati make it three wins in a row?
Both the Bengals offensive and defensive lines were stout last week, giving Burrow time to throw, hitting their blocks in the run game, and filling gaps to keep Derrick Henry from running free. The area of concern is going to be Mahomes throwing against a Chidobe Awuzie-less secondary as the game is likely going to be a shootout.
The Chiefs are able to get after the quarterback, but if Cincinnati's offensive line can replicate their performance last week, Joe Burrow can exploit Kansas City's secondary with the expected return of Chase to a red-hot receiving corps.
The Bengals make it three in-a-row against the Chiefs in a thriller as they start their playoff push.
Prediction: Bengals 31, Chiefs 30
Blake Jewell, All Bengals Contributor
Season Record: 8-3
I know that the Chiefs are one of the best teams in the league, but so are the Bengals. Cincinnati's defense is rolling, their offense was playing well without Chase and now they get their star receiver back on the field.
The Bengals won't fall behind early in this one like they did last year. I think both teams trade shots early on, with Cincinnati's defense tightening up in the second half to let the Bengals pull away in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
Prediction: Bengals 31, Chiefs 20
Mike Santagata, All Bengals Film Analyst
Season Record: 7-4
It's really tough to beat an opponent as talented and well coached as the Chiefs once, let alone three times in a row. The Bengals are at home for this matchup and have the team to do it though.
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo shut down the Chiefs offense in the second half of both of the contests last year. Can he make that magic happen again?
On the flip side, the Bengals offense is scorching hot and adds their best receiver back into the mix. The only thing they were missing on that side was explosive plays and Chase is an explosive play machine.
In a battle of two elite offenses, this game probably comes down to who holds the ball last. I'll take the Chiefs in a coin flip game that could easily swing the other way.
Prediction: Chiefs 34, Bengals 31
Lindsay Patterson, All Bengals Contributor
Season Record: 7-4
This is the biggest game of the season and the Bengals are coming off a huge road win. The Chiefs are looking for revenge, meanwhile Cincinnati is hoping to win their fourth straight game.
The club is 3-1 at home and home field feels different at Paycor these days. The lights will be on by halftime and two of the best quarterbacks in the league facing off. I think this game is all offense. I trust Anarumo and crew to get the job done on defense. Mahomes still makes plays and Travis Kelce gets his, but I still like the Bengals wide receiver group over the Chiefs secondary. Evan McPherson nails the game-winner and Cincinnati wins their third-straight over Kansas City.
Prediction: Bengals 34, Chiefs 31
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Andrew Miller, All Bengals Video Editor
Season Record: 7-4
Anarumo and this Bengals' defense should be able to slow down Mahomes and the Chiefs' offense, but Cincinnati's offense cannot afford to stall against Kansas City, who averages 29.6 points-per-game.
It remains to be seen whether or not this offense will be operating at full strength this week, as Chase likely re-acclimates himself after a four-game absence, and Mixon tries to clear concussion protocol. However, the Chiefs have yet to prove they have any formula for stopping Burrow.
This game could come down to who wins the turnover battle or who gets one final push downfield in the final minutes of the game. Without seeing what Chase's return can bring to Cincinnati's offense, I'm giving the edge to Kansas City this week.
Prediction: Chiefs 31, Bengals 27
James Yarcho, All Bengals Contributor
Season Record: 7-4
This is going to be a shootout, there's no question in my mind about that. Joe Burrow is looking to move to 3-0 against Patrick Mahomes and be the first quarterback to lead his team to three straight wins over a Mahomes led Chiefs team. I've said it before, but the Bengals are one of very few teams in the NFL that can go toe-to-toe with the Chiefs on a scoreboard. While you don't want to have to do that, it's good to know you can.
If the Bengals get Ja'Marr Chase and Joe Mixon back for this one, it can take their offense even further and the big play ability increases exponentially. This one is going to come down to who has the ball last - but the Bengals are still playing for their division while the Chiefs already have the AFC West locked up. This one comes down to an unlikely hero as Hayden Hurst gets the game winner.
Prediction: Bengals 37, Chiefs 31
James Rapien, All Bengals Publisher
Season Record: 7-4
Cincinnati is hoping to win their sixth game in seven tries on Sunday. Burrow, Chase and company give the Chiefs all they can handle, but come up short.
The Bengals' defense could struggle to stop Mahomes, Kelce and company—and that's ultimately the difference. Cincinnati could repeat as AFC Champions, but they come up short on Sunday at Paycor Stadium.
Prediction: Chiefs 34, Bengals 31
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