Travis Kelce is 100% right when he says the Bengals are acting really arrogant. The Cincinnati Bengals are coming into the AFC Championship game against the Chiefs with a lot of confidence as some of the players have said some cocky things.
Can you really blame the Bengals for being this confident and assured before the Championship game?
Not only are they coming off a crushing 27-10 win over the Buffalo Bills, the Super Bowl preseason favorites, in Buffalo no less, but they also have a four-game winning streak over the Kansas City Chiefs that includes a win in Week 13 this year and a win in the AFC Championship game last postseason. Simply put, the Bengals have dominated Kansas City for the better part of two years now.
Moreover, Patrick Mahomes’ mobility is in serious question as he is dealing with a high ankle sprain from last week’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
As of this moment, the Chiefs look like they are in their weakest state ever during Patric Mahomes’ reign under center, which is just another factor as to why the Bengals players have been saying things in the media like “we’ll see you all in Burrowhead” and liking/supporting social media and regular media posts that say the Bengals are going to crush the Chiefs.
Of course, it is true that this is the weakest team in the Patrick Mahomes era as KC lost players like Tyreek Hill, Charvarius Ward, Melvin Ingraham, Demarcus Robinson, Anthony Hitchens, Tyrann Mathieu, and Byron Pringle in the offseason, though that doesn’t mean this Chiefs team isn’t still one of the best in the league. Far from it.
I think a lot of people in the media and even the Bengals players themselves have forgotten that the Chiefs finished with the best record in the AFC at 14-3, won the AFC West for the 7th straight season, they won the AFC Crown (best team in the AFC) for the 5th straight season, they are only two years removed from their 2020 Super Bowl win, and they boasted of the best offense in the NFL in terms of passing yards (5,250), passing TDs (41), 1st downs gained (272), and efficiency rate (104.7).
Oh, and Patrick Mahomes is easily still the best QB in the league and should win his second MVP award when Awards Night comes around. So, in other words, the Chiefs are still one of the most dangerous teams in the league, and the Bengals would be foolish to disregard them as it seems like they are doing.
Whenever teams start mocking their opponent out of hubris and arrogance, there’s a 99% chance that their words will come back to haunt them in the biggest moments. And, seeing how Chiefs veteran players like Travis Kelce are making note of everything everyone is saying about their chances, I have to believe that the Chiefs are going to put their best performance of the season on that Arrowhead field tomorrow.
Usually, that means the opponent has no chance of winning as Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Andy Reid, etc. are just that good, but maybe the Bengals can walk the walk and talk the talk. I now Joe Burrow can, but can the rest of the Bengals players? I’m not so sure.
We’ll just have to wait and see Sunday evening.
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