Some key positional battles to watch as KC Chiefs visit Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday
Sunday’s game in Cincinnati featuring the 11-4 Chiefs at the 9-6 Bengals should be entertaining: two potent offenses led by star quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow, respectively.
Both teams are jockeying for playoff position, and the stakes are high.
Kansas City is already in the postseason after clinching the AFC West in Week 16 but needs a win in order to maintain a one-game lead over the Tennessee Titans in the race for the AFC’s overall No. 1 seed. Cincinnati, meanwhile, would clinch the AFC North, and a playoff berth, with a victory.
Here are four players, aside from obvious stars Mahomes and Burrow, to watch in Sunday afternoon’s game at Paul Brown Stadium.
Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill
Chiefs cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and L’Jarius Sneed will have their hands full against Bengals receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, both of whom enter this Week 17 tilt assured of 1,000-yard seasons.
The Chiefs can’t let Chase and Higgins get deep. And that’s where Thornhill, the Chiefs’ free safety, comes in. Thornhill needs to immediately recognize the Bengals’ routes and stay disciplined. He’ll be the last resort on the back end of the Chiefs’ coverage if a play breaks down, responsible for preventing them from running free.
Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
Brown has been a steady presence on Mahomes’ blind side. But the Pro Bowl left tackle will definitely have to earn his paycheck Sunday against defensive end Trey Hendrickson, whose 14 sacks are the fourth-most in the NFL.
A 2017 third-round pick with the New Orleans Saints, Hendrickson has blossomed into one of the NFL’s most elite pass rushers. He has 34 career sacks, including two against Mahomes in Week 15 of the 2020 season, and 27.5 overall in just the past two seasons.
Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd
While Chase and Higgins grab the headlines, Boyd flies under the radar. But that doesn’t make him any less dangerous. The 6-foot-2, 203-pound receiver often operates out of the slot and ranks third on the Bengals’ offense with 63 catches for 792 yards and four touchdowns.
Sneed, Mike Hughes and/or Rashad Fenton will be responsible for covering the slot on Sunday. This will be easier said than done against Boyd, who’s an accomplished receiver in his own right.
Bengals running back Joe Mixon
The Bengals complement their passing game with Mixon, who has racked up 1,159 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 280 carries.
The Chiefs have been gouged on the ground two weeks in a row, allowing 192 yards and two touchdowns to the Chargers in Week 15 and 130 yards to the Steelers in Week 16. The Chiefs won both of those games, but they’re playing with fire if they allow Mixon to run free next.
