The Kansas City Chiefs avoided disaster on Sunday. Despite another sluggish performance, they bounced back for a 25-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals to clinch the AFC West.
The Chiefs Were Forceful
The win did little to assuage concerns about a tepid offense that anchored Kansas City during a 2-4 streak following its bye week in Week 10.
Still, it secured the AFC West title, avoiding a Week 18 scenario that could have seen the Chiefs eliminated from the postseason. The Chiefs' victory eliminated the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos from the playoffs.
The Chiefs got off to a good start, with an opening 75-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to Isaiah Pacheco. They would not find the end zone from there.
After the Bengals responded with a touchdown, the Chiefs lost the ball on their next possession on a sack by Mahomes.
The Bengals then took a 17-7 lead that the Chiefs cut to 17-13 at halftime. From there, kicker Harrison Butker and the Kansas City defense did most of the work. Harrison Butker scored the final 18 points of the game.
Butker successfully converted four second-half field goals to extend his personal 18-0 scoring streak against the Bengals as Kansas City held Cincinnati scoreless in the second half.
The Bengals had a chance to tie after Butker's sixth field goal of the game extended Kansas City's lead to 25-17.
Cincinnati's converted a fourth-and-18 after Justin Reid's 38-yard catch from Jake Browning at the Cincinnati 38.
But Chiefs defenders caught Browning two more times to force a fourth-and-27 that the Bengals would not convert. The stop allowed the Chiefs to run out the clock and secure their eighth consecutive AFC West title.
Who leads the league in YAC? 🍚 pic.twitter.com/Do8dcdxamk
- Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 2, 2024
Chiefs Offense Revived
While the Chiefs struggled to get into the end zone, they converted a couple of big plays, something that had eluded them in recent weeks. Mahomes found Justin Watson for a 41-yard gain to convert a third down midway through the third quarter.
The Chiefs' next possession saw Mahomes find Rashee Rice completely unmarked for 67 yards, Kansas City's longest pass play of the season.
Both plays set up field goals, the second of which put the Chiefs up to stay.
Mahomes finished the game completing 21 of 29 passes for 245 yards with one touchdown. His fumble in the first quarter was the only turnover of the game. Rice was his top target with four receptions for 127 yards.
All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce continued to struggle. He had no receptions at halftime and finished the game with three catches for 16 yards. The game was his third consecutive game with less than 50 yards receiving and ninth without surpassing the 100-yard barrier.
The Chiefs' defense, which entered Sunday ranked second in the league in yards allowed per game, generated no concerns.
The Chiefs limited Cincinnati to 263 yards of total offense on 3.7 yards per play. They caught Browning six times, including four on the Bengals' final possession that ended in downs.
With the win, the Chiefs clinched the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs, making next week's game against the Los Angeles Chargers meaningless.
If they choose to do so, the Chiefs will have the opportunity to rest key players before hosting a wild card game at Arrowhead Stadium.