KC Chiefs vs. Bengals: Writer predictions for Week 17

The journey for the Kansas City Chiefs is nearly finished—at least this important part of it. The regular season is nearly concluded with only two games left to play. The Chiefs have already run through their full slate of home games at Arrowhead Stadium, and now must take shorter trips to Cincinnati and Denver before being able to close the book. With a top seed in the AFC presently in hand, they’ve accomplished what they needed to do—at least at this point.

The Bengals are the biggest obstacle to stand in the team’s way at this stage and they’re a franchise firing on some impressive offensive cylinders these days. Joe Burrow has an incredible arsenal at his disposal, and Zac Taylor looks like he’s going to be a good coach in the National Football League. For the first time in a very, very long time, Bengals fans have real reason to hope for more.

Before these young dynamic teams start the fireworks displays on Sunday afternoon, we wanted to publish our writers predictions for Week 17.

Max Cashio

The Bengals are riding a high after beating up on an NFL JV defense, but the Chiefs are getting healthy and they won’t give the Bengals any freebies. Chiefs 35, Bengals 24

Matt Conner

The Bengals are going to be a real mess for the Chiefs in future seasons as the front office is able to better address the trenches, but for now it’s hard not to see the Chiefs walking away with a win. That said, it should be stickier than previous outings and the defense faces a real challenge here in Week 17. Chiefs 32, Bengals 28

Bransen Gibson

The Chiefs train is on a roll and their next stop is in Cincinnati. Kansas City are firing on all cylinders and with a chance to clinch the AFC’s #1 seed, they won’t hold anything back. The Bengals are good, but the Chiefs are simply better. Chiefs 31, Bengals 24

Lyle Graversen

The Bengals have the firepower to go head to head with the Chiefs, but I believe the KC defense is playing at a higher level than Cincinnati’s. It will be a close one, but K.C. comes away with an important AFC win. Chiefs 34, Bengals 27

Scott Loring

The Bengals have a fascinating resemblance to the 2018 Chiefs. They will likely pull out all the stops in this game, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Cincinnati come out on top. But I don’t think they have the horses on defense to keep pace with the Chiefs. Chiefs 39, Bengals 35

Ellen Mathis

This game is not going to be as close as people think it will be. The Bengals are still a few years away from being great, but Joe Burrow is the real deal. Despite that, the Chiefs will win with a game that is not really in doubt (despite a garbage time touchdown making the score seem closer than it was). Chiefs 31, Bengals 25

Evan Mead

The Chiefs have found their talent again, and teams need to watch out. Although the Bengals are coming off a great win against the Ravens, this matchup won’t be the same. Chiefs take this game with ease. Chiefs 38, Bengals 24

Greg Morse

The Bengals bring a challenge, with Joe Burrow doing his best to get the upset. The Chiefense keeps the score low and the offense cruises as the young Bengals just can’t keep up. Chiefs 34, Bengals 17

Hunter Stanton

The Bengals have a high-powered offense with Joe Burrow and JaMarr Chase leading the charge; however, the Chiefs’ defense will hold them off well enough while the Chiefs’ offense puts on a show. It’ll be a close bout between two playoff contenders, but I see the Chiefs pulling it out in a close one. Chiefs 34, Bengals 30

Grant Tuttle

While Burrow and the Cincinnati offense has had moments of excellence, they have also seen tremendous struggle in pass blocking. I expect the Chiefs to get to Burrow 4-5 times and force him to make poor decisions with the football. On top of that, Mahomes and the Chiefs offense will continue to methodically move the ball downfield and punch in touchdowns. This one could be just as much a snore as the game against Pittsburgh. Chiefs 38, Bengals 17

Farzin Vousoughian

Don’t be surprised if this turns into a shootout. Chris Jones and the Chiefs defensive line will come through, especially late in the game. Chiefs 45, Bengals 38