Five things that stood out about the Chiefs’ last-minute win over the Bengals
A big-man touchdown.
A defensive back touchdown.
Five lead changes in the second half alone.
A late flag to convert fourth down.
Or, more simple terms, yet another Bengals-Chiefs game.
The Chiefs beat the Bengals 26-25 on Sunday, capping a frantic fourth quarter with Harrison Butker’s game-winning field goal as time expired.
There’s a lot to discuss. So let’s get to it. Here are the five observations from immediately after the game:
1. Yes, that’s a penalty flag
There will undoubtedly be some talk about the pass interference call that offered the Chiefs a final shot.
There shouldn’t be.
Bengals safety Daijahn Anthony undoubtedly made contact with wide receiver Rashee Rice too early on 4th-and-16, and that contact undoubtedly prevented Rice from having the chance to catch the football.
The real conversation should not be about the flag but rather the decision. After the Chiefs had nothing going offensively in the fourth quarter, Anthony could’ve put his body in a better position to simply one-hand swat away the heave from Patrick Mahomes to Rice rather than putting his hands up for a potential pick.
2. Kingsley Suamataia — on the bench
Chiefs rookie left tackle Kingsley Suamataia had a rough go with three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, none more obvious than a key fourth-quarter sequence.
On second down, Hendrickson beat him for a sack. On third, Suamataia was flagged for holding (his second of the day), wiping out a 41-yard gain.
The next play? On the bench.
The Chiefs subbed in Wanya Morris — and not just for a play, either. They left Morris in for the final drive.
But that too was more of the same. Morris had a flag cancel a fourth-down conversion.
Hendrickson is a handful, but let’s big-picture this: There are few more important progressions for the Chiefs this season than whether Suamataia can hold up as the starting left tackle — both for present and future ramifications.
It’s off to a rocky start.
3. The Chris Jones sequence
The fourth quarter turned on two Chris Jones plays.
He didn’t touch the football on either.
He didn’t make a tackle on either.
The danger zone came to open the fourth quarter, Bengals leading by five with the football. They called a second-and-10 screen, leaving Jones to bait him into the backfield. But he sniffed it out immediately, and traveled with the running back to force Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow to dirt the ball for an incompletion.
Third down. Jones broke into the backfield, chasing Burrow out of the pocket and into the arms of Tershawn Wharton and Mike Danna. That combination forced a fumble that Chamarri Conner scooped up for a 38-yard touchdown.
The play’s conclusion will get the glory.
It started with Jones.
4. The Chiefs coverage problem
After the offseason departure of cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, we’ve talked a lot about questions the Chiefs have in coverage.
They have one.
But somewhere else.
The cornerbacks have held their own, for the most part, but for the second week in a row, an opposing quarterback is intent on attacking the Chiefs’ linebackers — and one linebacker in particular.
Nick Bolton has been exposed in coverage the first two weeks, a focal point of the opposition. This week, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said Bolton’s training camp elbow injury had him still playing catch-up in the opener. Appears that’s still the case.
The Bengals tight ends combined for 14 catches for 151 yards. They once lined up a tight end out wide just to exploit the one-on-one matchup.
5. The Rashee Rice breakout
A diverse route tree for Rashee Rice?
That’s a game-changer.
At least it was Sunday.
Rice burned Cam Taylor-Britt off the line of scrimmage to create separation down the sideline on a 44-yard touchdown reception. And let’s give the quarterback some credit, too — Patrick Mahomes couldn’t have placed the pass any better.
It’s Rice’s first downfield touchdown catch of his career. He caught one downfield pass in 2023, which also came against the Bengals and Taylor-Britt, though it did not find the end zone.
Taylor-Britt did get the best of Xavier Worthy — after he’d called his shot during the week — with a remarkable one-handed interception.
6. That first fourth down
A bonus!
If you’re a regular here, you knew I couldn’t escape the five things without bringing this up.
Here’s an item that should never, under any circumstances that have crossed my mind, appear in a Chiefs box score:
First quarter: 19-yard field goal.
With the football resting just 36 inches from the goal line, head coach Andy Reid removed his offense in favor of a field goal. That’s despite making the correct decision to leave his offense on the field just a few plays earlier on fourth down. That’s despite a glaring advantage against a bad Bengals run defense. No, I don’t care how the previous two runs unfolded.
It’s a clear-as-day go. The analytics on this particular play show the Chiefs had a 5% better chance to win by going for it. There are few decisions, I’ll note, that can that drastically improve your chances to win a football game.
The Chiefs booted one away.
This story was originally published September 15, 2024 at 6:46 PM.