Will the Bengals or Chiefs represent the AFC in Super Bowl LVII
The Cincinnati Bengals made a strong case as the dominant team with an impressive defeat of the Buffalo Bills, 27 – 10. The Bengals’ defense completely shut down the high-scoring offense of the Bills and their defense had no answers for the Bengals’ attack. The Kansas City Chiefs took care of business against the Jacksonville Jaguars but at the cost of a significant ankle injury to Patrick Mahomes. Now the two teams meet in Kansas City for the right to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LVII.
The Bengals come into this one with a ton of confidence, some might say arrogance, but either way, this is a really good football team, with a ton of offensive weapons. The Chiefs on the other hand have a lot of offensive firepower as well, led by Mahomes, who says he’s ready for the matchup, and Travis Kelce, arguably the greatest tight end in NFL history.
There are a couple of keys to watch in this game that will likely determine the outcome. The Bengals only tallied 30 sacks on the season, near the bottom of the league, whereas the Chiefs are second in the NFL with 55 total sacks in the regular season. The sacks don’t tell the full story though, so let’s take a look at pressure rate as well, which takes into account sacks, hurries, and QB knockdowns per opponent pass attempt. The Chiefs are fifth in the league in this area with a rate of 24.9%, while the Bengals come in at 13th overall at 22.4%.
The Chiefs’ offensive line is one of the best, with PFF ranking them fourth overall. This will be huge for the Chiefs, as the second major key to this game is Mahomes’ health. If the line can protect him against the Bengals’ pass rush, he’ll have time to pick apart their average secondary; however, if they can generate some pressure and force Mahomes to have to scramble, it could be a long day for the Chiefs.
The Bengals’ offensive line is normally solid but with the injuries to three of the starting five, one of which being La’el Collins who is out. The other two, Jonah Williams and Alex Cappa, have not been ruled out yet but neither has practiced this week either. The Bills were unable to take advantage of this; however, the Chiefs have a far better front four.
All that said, the Chiefs have lost three straight to the Bengals, including in last year’s AFC Championship. Can the Bengals make it four in a row and back-to-back Super Bowl appearances? I say no, they won’t. I think the Chiefs’ front will be able to take advantage of the Bengals’ depleted offensive line, while also protecting Mahomes on the offensive side of the ball.
The Chiefs win and advance to Super Bowl LVII, 27 – 24.