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The Cincinnati Bengals will face the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that will determine who will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
The Bengals will not have an easy time winning this game, as the Chiefs have been here before and have been one of the top football teams in the NFL in recent seasons.
In order for this Bengals squad to win, they'll need some big performances from several key players, and play some of their best football of the season. Cincinnati has demonstrated all season that when their offense is rolling, they are a team that no one wants to play against. Their fans will be able to travel to Kansas City, and as we've seen from their home games, they have among some of the wildest and loudest fans in the league. Going into Kansas City's home stadium, which boasts one of the strongest fan bases in sports, will be a difficult job for this young Bengals squad.
Let's take a look at the three keys to the Bengals for them to walk away with a tough victory to advance to the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Bengal Keys To Victory
3. Joe Burrow has to be the best player on the field
It won't be easy for Joe Burrow to be the best player on the field against this Chiefs team, but he must be better than Patrick Mahomes if the Bengals are to win. It'll take a lot out of Joe Burrow, and the offensive line doesn't always do a good job of protecting him, but if the Bengals want to win, he'll have to keep finding ways to get the job done.
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Joe Burrow will need to play like he did against the Tennessee Titans a week ago and the Kansas City Chiefs the last time they met in the regular season. Joe Burrow was the best player on the field the last time these two teams met, and it resulted in a three-point triumph over this Chiefs team. Joe Burrow finished the game with 446 yards and four touchdowns on 30-39 passing attempts with no interceptions.
2. The defense has to get stops
This is likely to be a high-scoring game, given that both teams have two of the league's top offenses in recent memory. The Bengals have shown to be one of the most legitimate offenses in the NFL in recent years, while the Chiefs have been renowned for having one of the top offenses in recent seasons. This game will be decided on the defensive side of the ball, with the winner being the team that can make the most stops in critical moments.
It won't be easy for the Bengals to get stops against this elite Chiefs' offense, but they've been doing some great things on defense for parts of the season, and they'll have to do it again on Sunday.
1. Can't have penalties and turnovers
The Bengals have been one of the top teams in the league at not receiving flags this season. They'll have to play a near-perfect game if they want to upset the Kansas City Chiefs. They can't have any holding calls, pass interference, taunting, or anything else that may jeopardize their chances of winning. If Kansas City gains any form of advantage in this game due to penalties, they will seize control of the game and defeat the Bengals.
Not only can they not have any penalties, but Joe Burrow must also do an excellent job with the football and avoid turning it over. He did throw 14 interceptions this season, but he had a lot of success not throwing picks in the second half of the season. He has only thrown one interception since Week 14, and if this Bengals team is to win, he will need to keep this up since penalties and turnovers will be a big part of the game. Given how close the game will be, they cannot afford any minor errors and must be extremely smart with the football.
With all of the insane events from the NFL playoffs a week ago, this game has the potential to be even crazier. The Bengals, like Kansas City, have proved that they can win close games. This is going to be one of the best games the NFL has seen in a long time, and it has the potential to be a high-scoring affair. Cincinnati will have to take care of business and do all possible to get their supporters to return to the Super Bowl.
