Chiefs vs. Bengals, Week 2 preview
Aw, here we go again.
In what seems like a yearly event, the Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) will take on the Cincinnati Bengals (0-1) in Week 2. It’s a rivalry that started just a few years ago, but it has been a heated one to say the least.
Key game details
Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
Date: Sunday, Sept. 15
Time: 3:25 p.m. CT / 4:25 p.m. ET
Network/streaming: CBS
Radio: 96.5 The Fan, Chiefs mobile app
Broadcasters: Jim Nantz, Tony Romo
Referee: Alex Kemp
Spread: Chiefs 3.5 to 6-point favorites
Weather: Approx. 84°, cloudy, up to 8 mph winds, chance of thunderstorms 5%
Injury reports from Thursday
Thanks to Chiefs reporter Matt McMullen for the screenshot.
Two important receivers are on this injury report: Chiefs’ Hollywood (Marquise) Brown and Bengals’ Tee Higgins. And looks like neither will play. The Chiefs did pretty well without Brown last week, dropping 27 points on a good Baltimore Ravens defense. The Bengals, however, did not do so hot without Higgins, only scoring 10 in a shocking loss to the New England Patriots.
Notable storylines for Week 2
Chiefs-Bengals rivalry continues
The Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens are considered two of the Chiefs’ biggest rivals, but I’d label the Bengals as their biggest. Why? They’re the only non-Tom Brady-led team that has beaten the Chiefs in the playoffs during the Patrick Mahomes era. The Chiefs avenged that loss a year later, but it’s worth recognizing that Mahomes is still 1-3 against Joe Burrow.
That said, this game feels a bit different than their normal battles. It’s early in the season instead of late when Chiefs-Bengals battles have typically been played. Plus, the Chiefs are coming off a big, impressive win over the Ravens while the Bengals looked bad against the Pats in Week 1. It almost feels like the rivalry is winding down, with Cincinnati slowly driving past its Super Bowl window while the Chiefs speed up toward another potential championship.
Xavier Worthy: Just a fast guy?
It seems like the Bengals just can’t help but talk trash leading up to a matchup with Kansas City. This time they provided bulletin board material for Chiefs rookie receiver Xavier Worthy, with Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt noting that Worthy just has “speed,” and “that's about it.”
“He can't do too much else,” Taylor-Britt said. “That's about it. I feel like if you put your hands on him, he's only 100-something pounds. If you put your hands on him, you'll stop the speed. So, basically, get hands on him."
Okay, noted. But I promise CTB that Worthy absolutely can do more than just run straight, and Cincy will find out soon enough. Don’t be surprised if Petty Mahomes comes out and tosses some extra balls Worthy’s way in order to shut down the narratives about his new weapon.
Can Nick Bolton turn things around?
Listen, Bolton wasn’t very good in Week 1. He missed a couple of tackles and allowed 56 yards and a touchdown in coverage. Our guys on the Only Weird Games podcast discussed this a bit more in length the other day, but the summary was that Bolton was a liability.
However, let’s keep in mind that Bolton did not play in preseason at all, and then was suddenly asked to play 80 snaps in Week 1. He was gassed. Still, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo should know better than to put Bolton in coverage on obvious passing downs. So the question is whether the Chiefs will recognize that, and put Bolton in more of a position to succeed in Week 2, or whether he prove to be a liability.
Is Joe Burrow… alright?
Burrow did not look quite like himself last week. He threw for just 164 yards with no touchdowns, and managed to lead the team to a meager 10 points. Some wonder if it’s his surgically repaired wrist that’s bugging him, making it difficult to return to form. Burrow, meanwhile, seemed to downplay those concerns, chalking it up to early-season rust and recovery. So maybe the Cincinnati offense just wasn’t on the same page last week, especially without one of its star receivers. Simply put, it’s a wait-and-see situation, but if he puts up a similar performance as last week, the Bengals won’t have much of a shot.
Benny & The ‘Buy-Ins’: Higher/Lower Picks for Chiefs vs. Bengals on Underdog Fantasy, by Ben Heisler
We came up just a “toe” short on going 3-for-3 last week with our Underdog Higher/Lower plays!
Derrick Henry got his touchdown, Lamar Jackson stayed lower than 1.5 touchdowns, but some fella named Pat wasn’t ready to tuck and run just yet, failing to clear his 20.5 rushing yards.
This week, the Bengals come to town, fresh off a drubbing at home by the paltry Patriots. Cincinnati was all out of sorts, but the rivalry remains, and maybe the opportunity presents to find some value and win some cash! Underdog Fantasy is the fastest growing, new, must-check-out destination for fantasy sports. If you sign up with promo code KCSN, you can snag a Week 2 Free Pick (Caleb Williams to throw for HIGHER than 0.5 yards), as well as a Week 2 Free Pick for ALL players (CeeDee Lamb HIGHER than 0.5 receiving yards) and score up to $1,000 in bonus cash on your first deposit! —Benny
Travis Kelce: 5.0 Receptions - HIGHER
If there’s anything we know about NFL Week 2, it’s to fade the noise on the Week 1 overreactions. Kelce’s three catches for 34 yards wasn’t much to write home about, including a key drop, but the chance to play his home-state Bengals should get him back on track.
Cincinnati ranked dead last a season ago in receptions to tight ends, and I expect Mahomes to target him early and often to get him back in the flow of the game on Sunday afternoon.
Joe Burrow: 0.5 Interceptions - HIGHER
There’s two reasons for why I’m anticipating a pick from Burrow this week.
First, the Chiefs did a great job generating pressure on Lamar Jackson in Week 1. To their credit, Baltimore made them pay with a bunch of third-down conversions and Lamar scrambling for 122 yards to extend drives, but that’s not Burrow’s forte. K.C. finished with a top-five pressure rate and the Bengals struggled to contain New England a week ago.
Second, the Bengals’ signal-caller may be dealing with a lingering wrist injury, and never seemed to take many shots downfield. If Higgins is out, and Ja’Marr Chase gets double-teamed, Burrow may have to play hero ball and that usually leads to a pick.
Patrick Mahomes: 272.5 Passing Yards - LOWER
This is purely a historical play. Mahomes vs. Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has averaged just over 242 passing yards for his regular season career. Factor in the Chiefs as near-touchdown favorites and a Bengals defense recently giving up 120 on the ground to Rhamondre Stevenson, and I don’t see the need for Mahomes to sling it for this many yards on Sunday. He’s still the best in the league, but I like going lower here.
Sign up with promo code KCSN to claim your Free Pick + First Time Deposit offer up to $1,000 in bonus cash!
Chiefs-Bengals matchup history
The Bengals lead the all-time series 18-16 over the Chiefs, dating back to 1968. It used to be that the Chiefs and Bengals would only face once every few years on average, but recent success from both squads has pit them against each other five times since the 2021 season.
The last time the Chiefs and Bengals played…
The Chiefs beat the Bengals 25-17 on December 31, 2023. It wasn’t a typical rivalry matchup due to Burrow missing the game, with Jake Browning serving in his place. Despite no Burrow, it was more of a close game than expected with the Chiefs trailing for much of it. Kansas City managed to win after racking up six-straight field goals from kicker Harrison Butker.
The best Chiefs-Bengals game ever was…
This probably depends whom you ask. Any of the four Mahomes vs. Burrow games would suffice, given that each game was settled by exactly three points. Bengals fans would certainly give the edge to their AFC Championship Game win over K.C. on January 30, 2022, which was a heartbreaker in overtime. Chiefs fans, meanwhile, will definitely prefer their AFCCG victory over Cincy on January 29, 2023, in which K.C. managed to win despite Mahomes playing with a hurt ankle.
Chiefs-Bengals prediction, picks
Though there were some miscues, the Chiefs appeared close to midseason form last week. I expect that to carry over into Week 2.
Will the Chiefs beat the Bengals?
The Chiefs will beat the Bengals, mostly because they’re more polished right now. The offense looked great last week against a tough defense, and the Chiefs D was impressive for three quarters before becoming absolutely exhausted in the fourth quarter from chasing around Lamar Jackson all night. They won’t have that problem this week, thankfully, and should take advantage against a weakened Bengals squad.
Will the Chiefs cover the spread?
I like the Chiefs to cover and win by a touchdown, maybe more, as the Bengals struggle to keep up without Higgins on the field.
Wes’ pick: Chiefs 27, Bengals 20