KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Consider it this manner: The Chiefs don’t wish to be swept.
Sure, they’ve misplaced the previous three conferences towards the Cincinnati Bengals, probably the most important occurring within the AFC Championship Sport a 12 months in the past, a sport by which the Chiefs blew an 18-point lead.
As soon as once more, the 2 groups will meet Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium within the convention’s title sport, the victor this time advancing to Tremendous Bowl LVII. Forward of the much-anticipated showdown, which can characteristic celebrity quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow, the Chiefs have requested themselves one all-important query that may serve them nicely in constructing — and maybe modifying — their upcoming sport plan: What did we be taught from the three earlier losses?
“We all know they’re gifted in all three phases,” coach Andy Reid mentioned Monday of the Bengals. “It’s (principally) the identical guys taking part in towards one another. I’m certain each groups can have changes that they make, and each groups will play onerous. We’ll simply see the way it goes.”
The three earlier video games between these groups do present loads of storylines and tendencies that assist clarify why the result of every assembly was the identical: a three-point win for the Bengals in a comeback effort. (Critically, all three video games have been three-point wins for the Bengals after a comeback.) In all three video games, the Chiefs had a win chance above 75 % getting into the fourth quarter, based on Kevin Cole, who research analytical information in his publication, Sudden Factors. The Bengals additionally protected Burrow nicely for a lot of the second half in every victory. And one statistic that could be a robust indicator of figuring out the ultimate end result between equally gifted groups — turnovers — has favored the Bengals up to now two video games.
What a play by GP MONEY‼️#ProBowlVote x #GermainePratt#KCvsCIN | 📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/h6CLPN7djo
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) December 4, 2022
“They’ve executed at the next degree within the essential conditions,” Mahomes mentioned of the Bengals after the Week 13 matchup between the brand new rivals. “In case you’re going to beat a very good workforce, you’ve acquired to execute all through the complete sport.”
So, how can the Chiefs present enchancment in Sunday’s sport to extend their possibilities of successful? The 4 components beneath will inform the story.
Tackling might be paramount
Probably the most fundamental methods for a protection to achieve success, in any sport, is to sort out the ball service as quickly as potential — or when a defender has a transparent angle to restrict the yardage gained.
The Chiefs’ protection, nonetheless, has but to have a sport towards the Bengals by which its tackling was constant. As an alternative, the Bengals have typically received the one-on-one matchup downfield or on the perimeter. A great instance of this was the Bengals’ opening drive in final month’s sport, by which backup working again Samaje Perine, who performed instead of the injured Joe Mixon, broke tackles towards linebacker Nick Bolton and security Justin Reid to realize extra yards. The Bengals ended the drive with a 4-yard landing run by Burrow.
GO DEEPER
Chiefs’ third straight loss to Bengals had a well-recognized ending for star QB Patrick Mahomes
Together with the common season and the divisional-round victory final week, the Chiefs’ protection has averaged 13.5 snaps, based on TruMedia and Professional Soccer Focus, by which the primary defender who made contact with the ball service didn’t make the sort out. In every of the previous two video games towards the Bengals, the Chiefs have had 25 such performs.
“We’ve to be a little bit bit higher (at) tackling,” Bolton mentioned after final month’s loss to Cincinnati. “I really feel like we didn’t sort out very nicely. We are able to begin (enhancing) there. Perine had a hell of a sport. He’s a shorter again (listed at 5 ft 11), and he was in a position to make use of that to his benefit.”
Burrow’s first landing cross additionally featured missed tackles, as rookie cornerback Joshua Williams and security Juan Thornhill did not deliver down receiver Tee Higgins on his 12-yard landing reception.
Burrow to Higgins! @Bengals take a 14-3 lead.
📺: #KCvsCIN on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/KRUwj1CkWe pic.twitter.com/MB7IeHTN1o— NFL (@NFL) December 4, 2022
Late within the fourth quarter, the Chiefs had 4 defenders on the perimeter towards celebrity receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who caught a bubble display screen cross with Higgins and receiver Tyler Boyd as his blockers in entrance of him. Though Chase caught the ball behind the road of scrimmage, he was nonetheless in a position to evade Thornhill’s diving sort out try to realize 5 yards on a essential third-and-5 play with lower than three minutes remaining.
Chase has gained a league-high 109 yards after the catch over anticipated — the distinction between precise yards and anticipated yards on a person play — towards man protection this season, together with the playoffs, based on Subsequent Gen Stats. Within the three matchups towards the Chiefs, Chase has recorded 9 receptions on 13 targets for 138 yards and a landing versus man protection, together with 45 yards after the catch over anticipated.
If the Chiefs are higher at limiting the Bengals to minimal good points, then the offense, led by Mahomes, ought to have greater than only a season-low eight possessions, which is what occurred within the final assembly.
Ja’Marr Chase has gained a league-high +109 YAC over anticipated towards man protection this season (incl. playoffs).
In 3 profession matchups towards the Chiefs, Chase has caught 9 of 13 targets for 138 yards & a TD vs man protection (+45 YAC over anticipated).#CINvsKC | #RuleTheJungle pic.twitter.com/qHy3qinxyL
— Subsequent Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 24, 2023
Anticipate absolutely anything from Lou Anarumo
Anarumo, the Bengals’ defensive coordinator, has constructed a robust status for being among the finest at mid-game changes in terms of play calling to higher counterattack opposing offenses. According to that, Anarumo has not been afraid to alter his sport plan when going through Mahomes a second and third time.
“He’s achieved a fantastic job,” Reid mentioned of Anarumo. “He places his guys in place to make performs. He has a wide range of completely different coverages and fronts that he works with. His gamers perceive him. Zones are tight. They do a very good job of man-to-man (protection), so (it’s a) well-rounded scheme that he has.”
Mahomes was virtually flawless within the first half of the AFC Championship Sport final 12 months, finishing 18 passes on 21 makes an attempt for 220 passing yards and three touchdowns, with zero turnovers. However after halftime, he had one of many worst 30-minute stretches of his profession. One cause was that the Bengals used a further defender in protection (quite than as a cross rusher), which meant Mahomes needed to be extra cautious throwing to sure spots. The extra time Mahomes spent earlier than throwing the ball served to disrupt the Chiefs’ rhythm. With eight defenders again in protection — which is how the Bengals defended 45 % of the Chiefs’ second-half passing performs, based on Subsequent Gen Stats — Mahomes accomplished simply seven of his 13 makes an attempt for 59 passing yards. He additionally threw an interception and was sacked twice.
INTERCEPTED BY VONN BELL.
THE BENGALS CAN WIN IT WITH A FG. #NFLPlayoffs
📺: #CINvsKC on CBS
📱: https://t.co/dKNUFkxkbU pic.twitter.com/nJk7A8PqJR— NFL (@NFL) January 30, 2022
However within the December assembly, Anarumo known as simply 5 performs by which the Bengals had eight defenders in protection. Mahomes accomplished simply 1 of his 4 passes for six yards towards that scheme and was sacked on his ultimate dropback. The Bengals additionally performed extra man protection than zone on the Chiefs’ third-down performs.
Sunday’s sport may characteristic extra blitzing from Anarumo, who has used cornerback Mike Hilton to generate strain on opposing quarterbacks. Maybe the one side Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy can anticipate from Anarumo is that the Bengals might be keen to alter their technique if the Chiefs have success early.
“I’m certain they’ll have one thing (new) that they do,” Reid mentioned. “However I’m not going to chase a bunch of various issues. We should always have issues coated in our protections it doesn’t matter what.”
The Chiefs should strain Burrow — and so they can not whiff
The Bengals may enter Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday with three offensive linemen who weren’t anticipated to begin at their positions when the season started.
Hakeem Adeniji might be at proper sort out instead of La’el Collins, who tore his ACL on Christmas Eve. Max Scharping could possibly be at proper guard after Alex Cappa suffered an ankle harm within the regular-season finale towards the Baltimore Ravens. And towards the Buffalo Payments within the divisional spherical, Jackson Carman began at left sort out for the primary time this season instead of Jonah Williams, who suffered a left knee harm within the Bengals’ wild-card win over the Ravens. That mentioned, within the Bengals’ victory over the Payments, their offensive line dominated the trenches.
The Chiefs should accomplish what the Payments couldn’t: strain, hit and sack Burrow.
Two of the higher quarterbacks throwing on the run (8+ mph) will face off within the AFC Championship sport for the second consecutive season.
Joe Burrow is the one QB to earn a max-99 NGS passing rating on the run this season (incl. playoffs).#CINvsKC | #RuleTheJungle pic.twitter.com/6poHeCXd8Q
— Subsequent Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 24, 2023
The issue? The Chiefs’ line of defense, led by celebrity defensive sort out Chris Jones and defensive finish Frank Clark, have struggled to generate strain and rattle Burrow. Within the final assembly, the Chiefs recorded simply three quarterback hits, and the one sack they recorded was on a play by which Burrow gave himself up to make sure the sport reached the two-minute warning.
“I believed that quarterback beat us together with his mind, together with his arm and together with his ft,” defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo mentioned of Burrow in December. “I informed the blokes that. The mind half is on me. The arm and ft is on all of us. He made it actually robust.”
Sunday’s sport might be Jones’ likelihood for redemption. The Chiefs’ collapse within the AFC title sport final 12 months included Jones lacking two potential sacks on Burrow. Early within the fourth quarter, Jones was in a position to get his fingers on the Bengals quarterback, however Burrow deftly escaped him twice earlier than scrambling for a primary down. After his diving try and sort out Burrow was unsuccessful, Jones stayed down, his face masks buried within the turf. The would-be sack would’ve been Jones’ first playoff sack in 12 profession postseason video games.
JOE BURROW. TOO COLD.
📺: #CINvsKC on CBS
📱: https://t.co/dKNUFkxkbU pic.twitter.com/JuYFEWc7Zo— NFL (@NFL) January 30, 2022
“Final 12 months caught with me,” Jones mentioned. “It was the driving drive for this offseason.”
Within the common season, Jones was the league’s greatest inside cross rusher, accumulating 15 1/2 sacks and 29 quarterback hits, each numbers tying profession highs. The Chiefs probably will want Jones to win one-on-one matchups, whether or not it’s towards Scharping or Adeniji, to create a unfavorable play from Burrow.
Together with the playoffs, Burrow has the second-fastest time to throw within the league at 2.4 seconds. The Chiefs haven’t been efficient towards quarterbacks who unleash the ball rapidly, rating twenty first in EPA per dropback when an opposing quarterback threw the ball in 2.5 seconds or much less. The Chiefs have been additionally twentieth in success fee, at 50.5 %, in these conditions.
The Chiefs consider they should alter their pass-rush strategies, particularly when making an attempt to deliver Burrow to turf, after seeing firsthand how elusive he was within the earlier video games.
“He’s unconventional when it comes to scrambling,” Bolton mentioned of Burrow. “He strikes up within the pocket and shrinks himself down to remove a few of the space to sort out him.”
The O-line must be wonderful (particularly LT Orlando Brown Jr.)
All through this week, Reid and Bieniemy will see what sort of performs they will embody of their sport plan based mostly on the participation degree and mobility of Mahomes, who sustained a proper excessive ankle sprain in Saturday’s win towards the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Mahomes, arguably the league’s most-talented quarterback, plans on beginning Sunday’s sport, though his scrambling and improvisational abilities could possibly be hindered by the harm.
GO DEEPER
How Patrick Mahomes’ ankle harm may impression Chiefs’ sport plan vs. Bengals
The lineman with the most important highlight on him might be star left sort out Orlando Brown, the five-year veteran who’s answerable for defending Mahomes’ blind facet.
The earlier assembly towards the Bengals included Brown’s worst snap of the season. Within the fourth quarter, on a third-and-3 from the Bengals’ 33-yard line, Mahomes was pressured to scramble and lengthen the play after defensive finish Joseph Ossai beat Brown in lower than two seconds to generate strain. Then Brown watched Ossai, utilizing second effort to proceed his rush, file a pivotal sack by clipping Mahomes’ left foot together with his left arm.
Towards the Jaguars, Reid and Bieniemy adjusted their play calls by having Mahomes function principally from the shotgun. Mahomes was additionally supported nicely by his offensive linemen: Brown, star left guard Joe Thuney, star middle Creed Humphrey, proper guard Trey Smith and proper sort out Andrew Wylie. Within the second half, Mahomes was hit simply as soon as by the Jaguars, a play by which Mahomes stepped up within the pocket and delivered a bounce cross to receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a 6-yard landing.
One foot np
📺: #JAXvsKC on NBC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/3PQhoYeSUP pic.twitter.com/Zhqq73n89W— NFL (@NFL) January 22, 2023
The Chiefs’ offensive line might need to be simply as efficient towards the Bengals to permit Mahomes to seek out his rhythm and succeed.
(Photograph of Tee Higgins: Andy Lyons / Getty Photos)