KC Chiefs vs. Bengals recap: Key storylines from Week 17
By Matt Conner
Defensive impact up front
The Chiefs front four have been turning heads (and getting after quarterbacks) for several games in a row now, one of the biggest differences in the team’s win streak coming into Sunday. The defensive line once again was a major factor for the Chiefs up front against the Cincinnati Bengals, as expected, with Chris Jones leading the effort against Joe Burrow on the day.
Chris Jones came up big with 2 sacks and 3 quarterback hits, but he was helped along by Frank Clark, Alex Okafor, and Jarran Reed—each of whom came up with big plays on the day. At times, the Bengals offense looked unstoppable while, on others, a key sack was enough to stall a drive here and there. In particular, Jones was a game-wrecker up front who was even pushing through double teams to disrupt Burrow’s timing or force him to stop looking downfield and instead worry about turning the ball over.
On the day, the Chiefs finished with 4 sacks and 10 hits of Burrow and a few more near-misses. The Chiefs offensive line depth came up big on that side of the ball, but it also needs to be noted that the Chiefs have both veterans and young horses to run with up front and that’s going to serve them very well as the team plays well into the winter months.