KC Chiefs lose control of AFC seeding: What happened in Sunday’s loss at the Bengals?
Penalties, dropped passes and a leaky defense plagued the Chiefs on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
And that cost the Chiefs dearly in a wildly entertaining, back-and-forth contest.
The Bengals capitalized on multiple errors by the visitors and stunned the Chiefs 34-31 in a contest that saw two lead changes in the second half after the Chiefs held a 28-17 halftime advantage.
The defeat, coupled with Tennessee’s Sunday win against the Miami Dolphins, mean the Titans now hold the AFC’s No. 1 seed for the playoffs with just one game remaining.
“Between the big plays and the penalties, that’s what got us,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.
With the score tied at 31 late in the fourth quarter, the Bengals converted an improbable third-and-27 when quarterback Joe Burrow connected with rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase for 30 yards.
Now at the Chiefs’ 11-yard line, the Bengals chewed up the clock, going for a touchdown on fourth-and-goal inside the 1-yard line before Evan McPherson kicked the game-winning 20-yard field goal.
None of that happens if the Chiefs don’t allow the third-down conversion, which saw Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward in one-on-one coverage against Chase.
“That one hurt, man,” Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu said. “I’m pretty sure we all want that one back, as far as the players, even Spags (defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) and the coaches.”
The Chiefs blew a 14-point lead twice in the game and wasted quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ 259 yards passing/two-touchdown performance.
A holding penalty erased what would’ve been a Byron Pringle kickoff return for a touchdown, while wide receiver Tyreek Hill dropped what should’ve been a 64-yard gain.
The Chiefs totaled 10 penalties for 83 yards in the loss, while the defense allowed more than 30 points in a game for the first time since Week 5. Kansas City’s defense also allowed Burrow to complete 30 of 39 passes for 446 yards and four touchdowns.
Kansas City lost the game for multiple reasons, but it was clear that Reid considered the officiating to be a big factor in the outcome.
“There were way too many penalties,” Reid said. “(Ten) penalties, including that touchdown on a kickoff return. Fourth-down play, where our defense did a nice job of stopping them on the one-foot line. I’d like to comment on each one, but I don’t want to be fined.”
Sunday’s squandered opportunities conspired to snap the Chiefs’ season-high eight-game winning streak and cost them crucial playoff positioning with one game remaining in the regular season. They’re no longer in control of the AFC’s No. 1 seed, only first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the potstseason.
“We just can’t really let that affect us going forward,” Mathieu said. “We still got a lot to play for.”
O-LINE RISES TO CHALLENGE
The Chiefs’ front five had to overcome a lot of adversity early in this one.
First, starting left tackle Orlando Brown suffered a calf injury during the pre-game warm-ups. Rookie Lucas Niang took Brown’s spot, with Andrew Wylie starting at right tackle.
But then Niang suffered a knee injury in the first quarter and was carted off the field.
The Chiefs dressed eight offensive linemen for the game, leaving just guard Nick Allegretti and backup center Austin Blythe available. The Chiefs slid left guard Joe Thuney to left tackle and inserted Allegretti into the game at left guard.
On the surface, this appeared to be a potential disaster in the making, especially with standout defensive end Trey Hendrickson attacking Mahomes’ blind side. But Thuney met the challenge head-on by containing Hendrickson, whose 14 sacks entering Week 17 were the fourth-most in the league.
Hendrickson finished the game with no tackles and two quarterback hits.
“I thought Joe did a real nice job of jumping in there and doing it with very little reps (at left tackle), if any — none this week,” Reid said. “But he’s a football player and did a nice job with that.”
Mahomes agreed.
“Having Wylie out there at right tackle and playing really well, Joe kicking out and Allegretti coming in, I mean, we have depth in that offensive line room and we needed it today,” Mahomes said.
BACKFIELD SHINES
The Chiefs were without starting running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who was inactive with a shoulder injury.
Williams and Derrick Gore made sure the ground game wouldn’t miss a beat.
Williams totaled 107 yards, including a career-high 88 yards rushing, and two touchdowns, giving him a career-high six this season. Williams showed off his well-rounded repertoire, running with either finesse or power as needed. Gore chipped in with 37 yards rushing, including a 23-yard gain.
As a team, the Chiefs totaled 155 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 23 carries. The Bengals had ranked a stout fourth against the run before Sunday, allowing just 92.1 yards per game.
“The running backs did a great job of running today,” Thuney said.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Mahomes didn’t lock onto a single receiver very often on Sunday. For the second straight week, he spread his passes around.
A week after connecting with nine receiving targets, Mahomes topped that by completing passes to 10. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill paced the group with six catches for 40 yards, while tight end Travis Kelce totaled five catches for 25 yards.
RECEPTION RECORDS
Hill entered the game with 104 receptions, needing two catches to establish a club single-season record. It didn’t take long.
Hill had three catches in the first half, then added three more in the second to give him 110 this season. That broke Kelce’s single-season mark of 105, established just a year ago.
Kelce, meanwhile, also added a career milestone to his resume. The All-Pro tight end entered the game with 696 career catches. Kelce finished the game with five more, becoming the seventh tight end in NFL history to reach 700.
Kelce also accomplished it in 126 career games, shattering former NFL tight end Jason Witten’s previous top mark of 145.
CHASE IS SPECIAL
This mention is obligatory because Chase, the Bengals’ rookie wideout, had himself a fantastic game.
It didn’t matter what type of defense or coverage the Chiefs threw at him. He flashed his speed, good route-running and excellent hands. And when the dust cleared, the fifth overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft had totaled 11 catches for an NFL rookie-record 266 yards and three touchdowns on 12 targets.
“Hats off to the kid,” Mathieu said. “He had a great game and I’m hoping he can keep it going, going forward.”
It wasn’t just Chase, though. Cincinnati boasts a good, young offense that should provide stout competition for the Chiefs for years to come.
INJURIES
Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. suffered a calf injury during pregame warm-ups and didn’t play. Lucas Niang, who started at left tackle, was carted off the field with a knee injury.
Reid revelaed after the game that Niang suffered a torn patella tendon, which is often a season-ending injury.
INACTIVES
Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (shoulder), offensive lineman Kyle Long, tackle Prince Tega Wanogho, cornerback Deandre Baker and quarterback Shane Buechele were not dressed for the game.
UP NEXT
The Chiefs close out the regular season are on the road against the Denver Broncos in Week 18 at Empower Field at Mile High.
This story was originally published January 2, 2022 at 3:38 PM with the headline "KC Chiefs lose control of AFC seeding: What happened in Sunday’s loss at the Bengals?."
