Chiefs at Bengals predictions: AA writers’ picks for Week 13

The writers at Arrowhead Addict have made their picks and predictions for the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals matchup in Week 13.

The Kansas City Chiefs are in Cincinnati for one of the most-talked-about rematches from last season. We don’t need to recap last year’s debacles against the Bengals, save for this truth: Everyone at One Arrowhead Drive believes that the Chiefs were the better team in both of those games. After a long offseason, this version of the Chiefs is well prepared to square off with the Bengals and put them in their place.

The Bengals will likely have star receiver Ja’Marr Chase back from his hip injury, but the status of running back Joe Mixon (concussion) is still up in the air. When the Bengals have the ball, Kansas City’s trio of rookie cornerbacks (Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams, and Jaylen Watson) will undergo their most challenging test thus far. Expect to see a balance of Sneed and McDuffie guarding Tyler Boyd in the slot, while the Chiefs vary their coverages on Chase and Tee Higgins.

When the Chiefs have the ball, one big question is whether linebacker Logan Wilson will play. He is questionable with an illness since Friday. Another pivotal point in this game will be if the Chiefs will be able to run with stud defensive tackle DJ Reader clogging up the middle. Center Creed Humphrey’s matchup with Reader will definitely be one to watch. But, even if Mahomes and the Chiefs are forced to be one-dimensional, they are still capable of winning any ballgame, because Mahomes.

Writers recap

Everyone correctly picked the Chiefs to beat the hapless Rams last week. No one was closer than Jacob Milham, who guessed a 30-10 score. Will our writers once again predict a clean sweep against the Ja’Marr-Chase-infused Bengals? Here’s a glance at this week’s writers’ picks:

Patrick Allen (9-2)
If the Chiefs can get by the Bengals, I think they win the rest of their games and capture the no. 1 seed in the AFC. That will be easier said than done because the Bengals have the weapons on offense to give the Chiefs’ defense problems. I expect a shootout with Patrick Mahomes going into “God Mode” to ensure the Chiefs get revenge against the team that ended their season last year.
Chiefs 30, Bengals 27 (OT)

Adam Best (7-2)
According to PFF, Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. has been the sixth-best pass-blocking left tackle since Week 7. His resurgent play helped KC’s offensive line surrender zero sacks or TFLs last week. The Chiefs have a huge edge over Cincy’s patchwork line, and that will be the difference — Thuney or no Thuney.
Chiefs 38, Bengals 27

Matt Conner (8-3)
Last year, the Chiefs were up 49-20 over the Bengals in the first half of games (regular + postseason). From there, however, the Bengals had the horses to catch up and the Chiefs fell apart (6 points total in the second halves of the two games). This year, a fresh defense loaded with youth, speed, and stamina should make all the difference and let K.C. close one out vs. Cincinnati.
Chiefs 36, Bengals 30

Anthony Hatton (8-3)
There is a lot of talk about Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow. To me, the difference will be rookie running back Isiah Pacheco. Kansas City now has a physical presence in their backfield that was missing in both games versus the Bengals last season. If he carries the ball more than 15 times for the 4th consecutive game, Kansas City should be able to control this matchup in Cincinnati. 
Chiefs 31, Bengals 25

Scott Loring (7-4)
There is just no way the Chiefs are losing this game. The offense has spent at least two weeks preparing for it, as evidenced by their sub-par play in the red zone against the Rams. Mahomes might be really sleepy after a crazy week at his house, so he only throws for 350 yards in this one. Hot take: this game breaks the Bengals, and they miss the playoffs altogether.
Chiefs 41, Bengals 27

Ellen Mathis (10-1)
The Chiefs face their last big regular-season test on Sunday in what might be one of the best regular-season matchups. Why is it that teams always get healthy against the Chiefs? Chase is set to return, and if Joe Mixon is out of concussion protocol, the Bengals will be at full force. The Chiefs need this after a ho-hum vanilla performance against the Rams. Can they compete with the best of the best? Can they overcome a team that is sure to be in the playoffs? What will the defense do against a pretty good line and excellent receivers? Will receivers step up to make big plays? Do the special teams finally decide to stop being dumb? These questions get answered on Sunday and the Chiefs pull off a thriller.
Chiefs 27, Bengals 24

Jacob Milham (9-2)
Let’s hope the Chiefs were holding back their best against the Rams for the Cincinnati game. This is a marquee matchup with playoff seeding and legacies on the line. One aspect that concerns me is Cincinnati’s top-10 red zone defense. The Chiefs only had one red zone touchdown against the Rams, and they will again be without Mecole Hardman and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. But, the struggling goal-line rushing offense opens up more opportunities for the tight end room. Put some money on Jody Fortson catching his third touchdown this season against the Bengals.
Chiefs 27, Cincinnati B̶e̶a̶r̶c̶a̶t̶s Bengals 24

Greg Morse (7-2)
After last year’s two losses the Chiefs are now behind 17-14 in the all-time head-to-head record with the Bengals. I expect them to make headway on evening the score with a win this week. Patrick Mahomes exorcises these pesky tiger ghosts of December past and present.
Chiefs 41 Bengals 31

KC Proctor (9-2)
Tom Brady and Joe Burrow are the only two quarterbacks to have beaten Patrick Mahomes twice in a season. Pretty short list. After Brady and the Patriots won in 2018’s Week 6 and AFC title games, Mahomes and the Chiefs beat them in two consecutive games—2019 and 2020. I simply don’t think Mahomes can handle dropping three to Burrow. 
Chiefs 31 Bengals 28

Charles Robinson (10-1)
It’s rare that you get a chance to avenge the most frustrating loss of your season the very next year, and even rarer to avenge the two most frustrating losses of that previous year in the same game the following year. The Chiefs fell victim to Cincinnati’s second-half adjustments twice in 2021, the last time cutting short another Super Bowl run for Arrowhead’s finest. The Bengals come into this game again as the best second-half defense in the league, allowing only 6.8 points per in the back half of games this year, but the Chiefs are the league’s best in second-half scoring at 14.7 points per game. The Chiefs’ coaching staff steps up, and the good guys get their revenge in this one.
Chiefs 31, Bengals 28 

Byron Smith (5-1)
A key matchup for this game: Mahomes is unquestionably the best QB against man defense right now, ranking 2nd in passing yards against man, and first in tuddies against man. Cincy runs man at one of the highest rates in the league. Expect a huge game for Mahomes, at 400 and 4 touchdowns.
Chiefs 28, Bengals 24

Stacy Smith (2-0)
The Kansas City Chiefs have had this Week 13 game circled since the schedule was released in May. They’ll be motivated to exact some revenge on the teams they fell twice to in 2021. This time, Andy Reid and company are patient offensively, and as a result, Isiah Pacheco has a career day on the ground. The defense continues its multi-sack trend and the Chiefs escape the Queen City with a win.
Chiefs 31, Bengals 27

Lucas Strozinsky (8-3)
Until I submitted this prediction, I genuinely didn’t know who I would pick to win. On one hand, the Chiefs are looking for their first regular season win in Cincinnati since 1984. On the other hand, the Bengals are looking for their third consecutive win vs. Kansas City, a rare feat these days. In the end, I went with the better QB and coach, but I’m not confident.
Chiefs 33, Bengals 30

Grant Tuttle (10-1)
The Bengals are a dark-horse Super Bowl contender, but they are not what I would call a flashy team. Mahomes and company are looking for revenge and every time they play good defense, they seem to pummel them. This could be the “Skyy Moore game” if the Bengals dedicate a bunch of attention to Travis Kelce and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Chiefs 31, Bengals 27