Another week, another huge matchup on tap against an AFC North opponent for the Kansas City Chiefs.
In what has grown into a bit of a heated rivalry, the Chiefs welcome the Cincinnati Bengals into Arrowhead Stadium. Seemingly every game between these two teams has come down to the wire. That includes meetings in the playoffs. And even with Joe Burrow out with an injury last year, Kansas City had a tight battle with Jake Browning as the signal caller.
With these two teams, there are many players worth highlighting and keeping in mind. Who can win the one-on-one matchups throughout the course of the game will be fascinating. Overall, what are the top key matchups to monitor for Sunday? Here are three in a crucial Chiefs-Bengals meeting.
Chiefs Rushing Attack vs. Bengals Front Seven
The New England Patriots ran the ball quite a bit against the Cincinnati defense in Week 1. Overall, the Patriots tallied 170 rushing yards and 4.4 yards per carry on 39 total rushing attempts. Items like missed tackles, failing to fill run fits and a lack of consistent block deconstruction really hurt the Bengals against New England.
The Chiefs proved last season that they could lean on the run game and their commanding offensive line. Isiah Pacheco is also not going to go down very easily. If Kansas City finds some early push upfront, while Pacheco continues to fight up the field, the Chiefs could quickly force the hand of the Bengals. By controlling the pace of play, Kansas City could create predictable play calls from the Bengals once Cincinnati gets the ball back. If the Bengals fail to stop the run as much as they did in the first game, Kansas City is going to be able to simply pick their poison out of a vast set of offensive plays.
Ja'Marr Chase vs. Trent McDuffie
The Bengals' top wide receiver against the Chiefs' top cornerback will go a long way in determining how tight this game could be. Ja'Marr Chase's contract situation made things a bit awkward going into the opening game last weekend. And while he made a handful of catches, the Bengals started slow for yet another season. On the flip side, Trent McDuffie has already made a couple of momentum-changing plays this season, going up against Zay Flowers last week.
The connection of Burrow and Chase runs deep, obviously going back to their college days at LSU. But entering this game against Kansas City, that duo may have to elevate things even more. Tee Higgins missed Week 1 with a hamstring injury and is already considered a bit of a stretch to play this week. If Higgins is indeed out again, it may take a monster amount of wins from Chase to get Cincinnati across the finish line victorious. McDuffie has routinely answered the bell in his young career, even in the toughest of matchups.
Travis Kelce vs. Vonn Bell/Geno Stone
Late in the regular season last year, Travis Kelce was held to just three catches and 16 receiving yards against the Cincinnati Bengals. Granted, Kansas City was trying to figure things out offensively game-to-game, and sometimes drive-by-drive. Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has also done a fine job of changing and disguising different looks against the Chiefs offense in the past. However, there could be reasons that make this matchup a little more favorable for the veteran tight end.
Kansas City could look to spread out the Bengals battle-tested secondary with their increased speed at wide receiver. If they look to play off coverage or force Patrick Mahomes to work underneath, Kelce becomes a point of focus. Mahomes may also look to feed Kelce a bit more after only a few catches last game.
Cincinnati safeties Vonn Bell and Geno Stone both win off of instincts and reactionary quickness. Can they use any physicality to disrupt Kelce? If so, it will be up to the revamped Chiefs wide receiver room to control the pace once again. Meanwhile, Kelce still has enough wiggle and athleticism to gain early separation against players like Bell and Stone.