AFC Championship Preview

By Alex Benjamin

The AFC Championship game will see the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Cincinnati Bengals, in what promises to be an exciting and hard-fought battle.

The Chiefs, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, have had a dominant season, finishing tied with the best record in the league at 14-3. They are the 2019 Super Bowl champions and will be looking to return to the big game for the third time in four years. The team boasts one of the best offenses in the league, led by Mahomes, who has thrown for over 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns this season. The Chiefs also have a strong defense that finished in the top 10 in yards allowed per game.

The Bengals, on the other hand, have had a good season, finishing with a record of 12-4, winning their last 10 games. They are led by quarterback Joe Burrow, who has had an impressive season, throwing for over 4,400 yards and 35 touchdowns. The Bengals also have a strong defense that finished in the top 5 in points allowed per game.

The game will be played at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Chieeeefs! The Bengals are a strong and tough team, but the Chiefs are great and should have the advantage in this matchup. However, the Bengals are not a team to underestimate as we saw last year, and look unbeatable if they can play to the best of their abilities.

The big news this week has been that Patrick Mahomes is dealing with a high ankle sprain that he suffered in their divisional round game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He’s Patrick Mahomes and this is the AFC Championship, so he’s going to play. The question on everyone's mind is how this injury will affect his play in such a crucial game.

Mahomes has been one of the most dominant quarterbacks in the league over the past few seasons, and his play has been a major reason why the Chiefs have made it to the AFC Championship game. However, a high ankle sprain can be a serious injury for a quarterback, as it can affect their mobility and accuracy. Mahomes is reportedly feeling better. Ankle sprains can be unpredictable, and it's possible that Mahomes will not be able to move as well as he normally does on the field. If that's the case, it could limit his ability to evade the pass rush and make throws on the run. This could force the Chiefs to rely more on their running game and short passing game.

Despite the injury, Mahomes has proven to be a resilient player who is capable of performing at a high level even when not feeling his best as he did last week against the Jags. He has also shown that he can lead his team to victory even when things don't go as planned, which makes him a dangerous opponent from the pocket, even when he's not at full strength. It's hard to say exactly how Mahomes's high ankle sprain will affect his play in the AFC Championship game. He's a talented quarterback who can overcome adversity, but the injury is something that can't be ignored. The Chiefs will have to make adjustments to their game plan and hope that Mahomes can perform at a high level despite the injury.

One of the biggest advantages for the Chiefs is Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes is one of the most talented and accomplished quarterbacks in the league, and his play has been a major reason for the team's success this season. Despite his high ankle sprain, he can still throw, and the offense should be able to adjust and adapt to what he can do, but his magical improvisational skill, which is what makes him so unique, will be limited. I expect his main man, Travis Kelce, to be his safety blanket and be targeted often. The running game of Pacheco and Mckinnon is effective, and Travis Kelce is excellent. Another advantage for the Chiefs is their experience. The team has been to the AFC Championship game five straight times, and they have a lot of players who have been through the playoff pressure before. This experience could give the Chiefs an edge in terms of their ability to handle the pressure and make the right plays at the right time under the spotlight.

But, the Bengals are a problem. Without Joe Mixon, the Bengals won in the Week 13 regular-season matchup because they controlled the clock. Samaje Perine's running game was good enough, Joe Burrow was excellent on third downs, and the defense produced the crucial turnover necessary for the 27-24 victory. Cincinnati is a difficult opponent no matter what. The defense turned it up a notch in the resounding victory over Buffalo. Nothing is rattling Burrow, and there is a massive chip on this team’s shoulder. One of their biggest strengths is their defense. The Bengals have been one of the best defenses in the league this season, and they can shut down opposing offenses. They have a strong pass rush, which could make it difficult for Mahomes to find time to make throws, and they have a solid secondary that could make it hard for the Chiefs to complete passes down the field. Another advantage for the Bengals is their running game. They have a strong running back in Joe Mixon, who has been one of the best backs in the league this season. Mixon can break off big runs and control the clock, which could help the Bengals keep the ball out of Mahomes's hands and limit the number of opportunities the Chiefs have to score.

Despite the advantages of each team, they also have their own set of disadvantages that could play a role in the game. The Chiefs will have to contend with Mahomes's high ankle sprain, which could limit his mobility and accuracy the team's defense has been inconsistent this season, and they will have to step up their game against Joe Burrow if they want to win.

The Bengals are a relatively young team and they don't have much playoff experience besides last year’s playoff run. Their offense is not as explosive as the Chiefs, and they will have to rely on their defense to keep the game close. They will need to start fast and early if they want to have a great chance of winning. If they go down 21-3 like they did last year, I don't see any chance they win this game.

Bengals players are calling the Chief's home stadium, “Burrowhead,” and for good reason. Joe Burrow is 3-0 against Mahomes and is looking to top Brady for the most wins against Mahomes. If Joe “Cool,” can win again, I believe he will become the new face of the league, especially if he can win a Superbowl. This should fire up the Chiefs, however. Arrowhead should be the loudest stadium in the NFL.

Both teams are extremely confident going into this game. LB Willie Gay of the Chiefs was asked “What impresses you about that Bengals offense?” he replied “Nothing.” As for the Bengals, just check Eli Apple’s Twitter (twitter.com/EliApple).

Here are my keys for the game:

At some time, the offensive line injuries for Cincinnati will become significant. Buffalo lost 27-10 and played an odd game. The main reason was the Cincinnati backfield received little constant pressure. Although Kansas City doesn't blitz a ton to get to the quarterback, it ought to be able to pressure Burrow more than Buffalo did. The run defense hasn't struggled this season, and the secondary hasn't allowed many long shots.

Kansas City has to reverse what the Bengals dealt with last week. Buffalo ran just 19 times for 63 yards. Cincinnati ran 34 times for 172 yards. The Chiefs have to flip that. Like it did against Jacksonville, Kansas City needs to be the side that controls the clock. After Patrick Mahomes got hurt, the Chiefs changed the game plan. They were able to control the ball for 10 more minutes than the Jaguars, and they now have to repeat their strategy. Yes, they perform best when moving at a fast tempo, and Mahomes finds an unbreakable rhythm, but given his ankle problems, that's asking a lot. Make that offensive line work!

When allowing 155 rushing yards or more, Cincinnati was 2-2; one of those victories was over Baltimore in the Wild Card. The Chiefs are 13-1 when running for 70 yards or more. This is the key for both teams.

Prediction:

The spread currently sits at Chiefs -1. In my opinion, this is great value. Mahomes is said to be making progress and was seen jogging around the practice facility on Wednesday afternoon. Mahomes on one leg is still a top 3 QB (Nick Wright). I believe Mahomes finally beats Burrow and cements his legacy as one of the best QBs of all time and advances to the Super Bowl for the third time. Mahomes is a Superhero.

Official Prediction: Chiefs -1; Chiefs 23-Bengals 20

The AFC Championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals promises to be an exciting matchup. The Chiefs have the experience and the quarterback to win, but the Bengals have a strong defense that could disrupt their offensive rhythm. The Chiefs will look to get their revenge, while the Bengals will look to repeat the 2021 AFC championship and advance to the Super Bowl for the second consecutive year. It will be exciting to see how the game unfolds, and which team will come out on top to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Source of the image: Sporting News (https://library.sportingnews.com/styles/crop_style_16_9_mobile_2x/s3/2023-01/Chiefs%20vs.%20Bengals_0.jpg?itok=cUU97F6L)