The Kansas City Chiefs have few flaws, but one of them is the fact that they can't seem to find a way to beat the Bengals.

For as much praise as the Andy Reid-led Chiefs have received for their play style that earned them their fifth-straight AFC Championship game appearance - all at home - the Bengals have somehow found a way to play spoiler. One of Kansas City's three losses this year came in Cincinnati back in Week 13.

The Chiefs didn't play poorly. They were just outplayed.

In all three of their head-to-head meetings, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has helped give his team a fourth quarter lead. But whether Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow went off at the right time or the Chiefs just went south at the wrong time, Mahomes and the Chiefs just haven't been able to find the Bengals' kryptonite.

That doesn't take away the challenge the Bengals face heading into an always-challenging Arrowhead Stadium environment. It took an 18-point comeback for the Bengals to come into Arrowhead last year to pull out an overtime victory to head to their first Super Bowl in over three decades.

Neither team is in this game by coincidence. Round four of this classic AFC rumble is quickly turning into one of the NFL's hottest rivalries with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Cincinnati seeks back-to-back AFC titles for the first time in franchise history. Kansas City wants to get back to the big game for the third time in four seasons after winning it all three years ago.

Burrow vs. Mahomes has all the makings of one of the league's best quarterback duels. An MVP finalist, Burrow goes against a one-time MVP winner and current frontrunner in Mahomes. Reid will look to get his first-ever win against Bengals head coach Zac Taylor who continues leading the Bengals ascension in the AFC.

A more youthful, robust Chiefs defense, led by defense coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, will try and do what Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has done and that's stop Burrow in his tracks. That includes his receiving corps, led by Ja'Marr Chase, which has also been a force to be reckoned with in these games.

Who takes round four of this hot, fiery rivalry that's featured no shortage of bulletin board material? Kansas City is a 1.5-point favorite but that hasn't meant anything to a confident Bengals squad. Will Burrow or Mahomes possess the hot hand?

The Strictly Stripes crew gives a comprehensive, full-on preview filled with game predictions, including scores and the top playmakers to look for in Sunday's championship game. They also assess the significance of injury updates for both teams, such as the Bengals' offensive line and Mahomes' ankle injury.

This podcast features Mohammad Ahmad, Andrew Gillis and Michael Niziolek.

Music: Starfields by Hallman

Music Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/nQ9ldbVF7D/

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The Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes meet yet again.

Mahomes beat the Bengals in his first ever meeting against Cincinnati during a Sunday Night Football showdown at Arrowhead in Week 7 on the 2018 season. He lit up the Bengals' defense by leading the Chiefs to a 35-point victory as that year marked Mahomes' first-ever AFC Championship game appearance.

Times have since changed though. Mahomes has not beaten the Bengals since quarterback Joe Burrow joined the franchise, losing to Burrow in each of their last three head-to-head matchups. Burrow outdueled Mahomes in a Week 11 showdown that saw the Bengals defeat the Chiefs, 27-24, as Mahomes completed just over half of his passes while throwing for a near season-low 227 yards.

However, none of that has changed the fact that Mahomes is the league frontrunner to win what could be his second MVP award. He's also still the league leader in most passing categories ahead of even Burrow. And this Sunday's AFC Championship tilt with the Bengals is the only thing separating Mahomes from his third Super Bowl appearance in four years.

Sunday will be anything but easy for Mahomes and the Bengals' defense. Cincinnati defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has gotten the last laugh but Mahomes had nearly come close to doing the same in those three matchups.

What do the Bengals do differently against Mahomes? Do they do anything differently? They've faced Mahomes with and without star receiver Tyreek Hill who's now in Miami. Don't forget about All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce though. He's been Mahomes' go-to target and that will leave linebacker Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt with their hands full.

The Strictly Stripes Crew compares and contrasts the last three matchups between both teams to what's coming up this Sunday at Arrowhead. They debate whether Mahomes' ankle will be much of a factor and all and how much that changes the gameplan.

Special contributor Lance Reisland also breaks down the film from the Bengals' divisional win last weekend over Buffalo to explain what went right. He also weighs in on how the Bengals should get to Mahomes.

This podcast features Mohammad Ahmad, Michael Niziolek and special contributor Lance Reisland.

Music: Starfields by Hallman

Music Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/nQ9ldbVF7D/

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The Kansas City Chiefs just haven't seemed to figure out Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

Despite possessing a late lead in each of their last three matchups with Cincinnati, the Chiefs haven't been able to finish the job. Part of that is due to Burrow finding a way to keep the Bengals in the game, including last month's 27-24 win in Cincinnati even though the Chiefs possessed a fourth quarter lead.

A complementary defense led by "mad scientist" Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has also played a big role in flustering quarterback Patrick Mahomes in each of their last three meetings. However, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnoulo hasn't been able to say much of the same about Burrow.

Burrow has completed over 70% of his passes against the Chiefs while averaging over 325 passing yards per game and throwing just one interception to eight touchdowns in those three meetings. Wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase has played a big part of that success as he's scored a touchdown against the Chiefs every time he's played them, even catching a career-high 266 receiving yards in last year's Week 17 matchup.

The Chiefs' defense is slightly improved from last year's squad that finished with the sixth-worst total defense in the NFL, but it still hasn't completely cracked the code on stopping Burrow.

That will have to change with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line this weekend.

That doesn't mean Burrow is guaranteed to keep busting moves on the Chiefs, so what kind of gameplan should the Bengals expect for them to have? Moreover, how do the Bengals adjust to what the defense presents without abandoning their identity?

The Strictly Stripes crew lays out the framework for what's allowed Burrow to win most of his matchup against the Chiefs. Then, they assess how well the protection has played a part in his ability to throw off the Chiefs' defense while weighing on what running back Joe Mixon's role should look like.

Special guest Dan Hoard, the "Voice of the Bengals," joins the crew to give a special interpretation of Burrow on top of setting the stage for Sunday's AFC Championship.

This podcast features Mohammad Ahmad and Andrew Gillis.

Music: Starfields by Hallman

Music Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/nQ9ldbVF7D/

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Another matchup between the Bengals and the Chiefs, another AFC Championship matchup.

Surprisingly or unsurprisingly, depending on who you ask, the Bengals are back in the AFC Championship game and they're doing battle with the same Chiefs team they faced last season. And they're heading back to Arrowhead Stadium.

This Sunday's tilt will be the fourth meeting between these two foes in just the last two years. Kansas City came to Cincinnati back in December and the Bengals defeated the Chiefs, 27-24, the same score as last year's overtime victory.

Since beating the Bengals in Kansas City back in 2018, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has never defeated them nor quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow has five playoff wins in his short but storied career and has a chance to win his second one against Mahomes.

Asking the Burrow and the Bengals to defeat Mahomes on his own turf is a tall, tall task. Kansas City has only lost at home once this season, but their only home loss in 2021 came when the Bengals came to town and upset the Chiefs to win the AFC Championship.

The Bengals will have unfinished business to resolve from last year's Super Bowl loss to the Rams, but in order to get back to the big stage, they have to get past Mahomes, who will be playing this weekend despite rolling his ankle in a divisional round win over Jacksonville.

That has oddsmakers placing the Bengals as 1-point favorites. Will they be able to back that up in Kansas City with Arrowhead's raucous, loud, if not the loudest, crowd for any opposing NFL team?

The Strictly Stripes crew explains why the Bengals have garnered attention as of late following their statement divisional victory over Buffalo on the road last weekend. Why should other teams give praise for the Bengals coaching staff led by head coach Zac Taylor? They answer and explain how and why.

This podcast features Mohammad Ahmad, Andrew Gillis and Michael Niziolek.

Music: Starfields by Hallman

Music Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/nQ9ldbVF7D/

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And then there were two.

The Cincinnati Bengals are back in the AFC Championship almost exactly one year from the day they made it to the big game following a commanding divisional round victory on the road against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon.

Unsurprisingly, the Bengals will head back to Arrowhead Stadium to rematch the Chiefs after defeating them in last year's title game in overtime. But this will more specifically be a fresher rematch of last December's victory against the Chiefs in Cincinnati by that same score.

Back to Buffalo though. The Bengals played a complete game and didn't get the Bills take a lead, no matter how close Bills quarterback Josh Allen and his team was to swinging the game away from Cincinnati.

Although Allen was a forceful challenge for Lou Anarumo's defense, the Bengals limited him to just enough magical plays that limited the Bills to just 10 points. Meanwhile, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow blocked out the snow, noise and cold weather to put together another maestro postseason performance just as he's mostly done in his young playoff career.

Make that 10 straight wins for the Bengals, extending their franchise record that they already set with wild card win last weekend over Baltimore. The Bengals may not have been placed as the same competitive tier as Buffalo and Kansas City by some experts in the preseason. Yet, the Bengals proved they can not only be in the same tier, but defeat those teams to get back to the big game.

The Strictly Stripes crew has another playoff postgame edition on deck as they look at every single ankle that went the Bengals' way. They also give a premature set-up for next week's AFC Championship rematch with Kansas City and explain how close the Bengals can make that game.

This podcast features Mohammad Ahmad, Andrew Gillis and Michael Niziolek.

Music: Starfields by Hallman

Music Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/nQ9ldbVF7D/

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The Bengals last five playoff games dating back to last season have been decided within a touchdown or field goal.

After surviving an upset-minded Ravens team in the wild card round last weekend, 24-17, Cincinnati heads to Buffalo to face a Bills team that survived a similarly upset-minded Dolphins team led by third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson, 34-31.

Never mind the fact the Bills are No. 2 seed and the Bengals are defending AFC champions looking to run back their conference title. This is the playoffs. Nothing is out of the realm of possibility.

The Week 17 matchup between both of these teams was supposed to show a window of what a respective showdown would look like, but that game was ultimately postponed and cancelled. There's not much tape for either team to take away from the other after just nine minutes of action between the two.

Buffalo's biggest question mark is whether quarterback Josh Allen can hold onto the ball effectively after being turnover-prone against Miami last weekend. On the flip side, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will have to do battle without three-fifths of his starting offensive line as Jonah Williams and Alex Cappa will both be out for Sunday's game.

As discussed on the Strictly Stripes podcast earlier this week, the defining features for the Bengals will be how well Burrow can sustain pressure and whether or not they can win the red zone battle with Buffalo. Nonetheless, these will all go into the makings of what could be another heart-throbbing playoff battle.

The Strictly Stripes crew convenes to give their final predictions and thoughts on Sunday's upcoming divisional matchup for the right to play in the AFC title game. They explain why this will be a close game, no matter who wins, and they grade criticism of the Bengals from outside critics as Cincinnati is a 5.5.-point underdog.

This podcast features Mohammad Ahmad, Andrew Gillis and Michael Niziolek.

Music: Starfields by Hallman

Music Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/nQ9ldbVF7D/

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The Bengals and Bills will both be bleeding red this weekend.

Why the color red? Because both teams will give their best efforts on both sides of the ball inside their respective 20-yard lines, aka, the red zone.

If the adage "defense wins championships" has any merit, the Bengals proved that in their wild card win over the Ravens last weekend thanks to Sam Hubbard's fumble return that will forever be discussing in Cincinnati sports lore. That may have been the Bengals' biggest red zone stop of the season and one of the biggest in franchise history.

The Bengals' defense will need that this Sunday when they battle one-time MVP favorite and Bills quarterback Josh Allen for the right to play in the AFC title game. Despite playing one drive against the Bills' offense in their initial Monday Night Football meeting before it was cancelled, the Bengals stopped Allen in the red zone and forced Buffalo to kick a field goal.

However, the key won't just be stopping Allen in the red zone. Cincinnati will have to allow Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and his offense to operate efficiently when he's inside the 20-yard line this weekend. Buffalo's red zone defense will go against a high-powered Bengals red zone offense that's fifth in the league in red zone touchdown scoring percentage.

So, whether they're going against Allen or relying on Burrow, the Bengals need to win in the red zone.

The Strictly Stripes crew breaks down what has to work in the red zone for the Bengals on both sides of the ball. Speaking of quarterbacks, they reopen the debate on whether Allen or Burrow is the superior quarterback.

Local 12 Cincinnati columnist Richard Skinner also joins the crew as a special guest.

This podcast features Mohammad Ahmad and Andrew Gillis.

Music: Starfields by Hallman

Music Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/nQ9ldbVF7D/

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Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a record he'd rather forget about.

Almost exactly a year ago, Burrow was sacked an NFL-record nine times in last year's divisional playoff victory at Tennessee. Although the Bengals won that game on a walk-off field goal, Cincinnati barely hung on for the win as those nine sacks were just some of the league-leading 70 times Burrow was sacked last season.

Although the pocket has fared much better for Burrow this season, three of the Bengals four losses this year have come every time Burrow was sacked at least three times in a game. The only exception to that is last week's playoff win over Baltimore, when Burrow was sacked four times, thanks to defensive end Sam Hubbard's historic hometown heroics in that game.

Burrow was without two of his starting lineman, Alex Capa and La'el Collins, before left tackle Jonah Williams with down with a dislocated kneecap. While Collins is out for the rest of the season, Burrow could very well be without Cappa and Williams in Buffalo this weekend as neither of the two practiced on Wednesday.

That means the Bengals will likely turn to former second-round pick and Cincinnati-area product Jackson Carman, who's mainly struggled since joining the Bengals, if Williams can't go. Rookie left guard Cordell Volson and veteran center Ted Karras would be the only other starters who have played every other game this season. Hakeem Adeniji, who played in last year's postseason run, will be at right tackle for the rest of the playoffs too.

Given Buffalo boasts a top-ten ranked defense and the fifth-best graded pass rush, according to Pro Football Focus, that could be a problem for Burrow. Statically, Burrow has been throwing the ball quicker and more accurately than last year while avoiding sacks at a higher rate.

Will Burrow be able to continue his magic with up to three-fifths of his starting front potentially out?

Furthermore, how do his receivers, primarily Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase, match up against Buffalo's tandem with Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis? Interestingly, there's a strong case to be made for comparing both units as the latter has thrived with MVP preseason favorite Josh Allen this year. Where do they fit with helping Burrow escape pressure on Sunday?

The Strictly Stripes crew explains how dire the situation is up front for Burrow compared to last year's brutal hits that he sustained leading up and into the Super Bowl. They compare and contrast the old Burrow with the new Burrow and assess whether he or Allen have the upper hand on Sunday.

This podcast features Mohammad Ahmad and Michael Niziolek.

Music: Starfields by Hallman

Music Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/nQ9ldbVF7D/

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The Bengals survived one of the strangest and most intriguing wild card matchups over the weekend.

After watching their win over the Ravens come down to the very last play of regulation, Cincinnati has to quickly turn the page and plan for the Bills. Buffalo also survived a wacky wild card game just hours before the Bengals' win.

There's a lot that's different between planning for the divisional archrival Ravens and a Bills team that the Bengals faced just over two weeks ago. Baltimore's triple option offense that was without quarterback Lamar Jackson is a stark contrast from an offense led by one-time MVP favorite Josh Allen.

Similarly, though, just as the Bengals have had to plan for the Ravens in back-to-back weeks, they're also planning for the Bills for the second time in less than a month. That comes with added benefits but challenges too as both teams try to get a leg up on each other in terms of game planning and preparation.

Buffalo will have to deal with a red-zone defense that was emphasized by defensive end Sam Hubbard's record-breaking fumble return for a touchdown in last weekend's win over Baltimore. On the flip side, that same Cincinnati red zone defense has to plan for Allen and a Bills' wide receiving corps led by Stefon Diggs.

The real weakness for the Bengals overall will be their offensive line assuming either Alex Cappa and/or Jonah Williams aren't good to go for Sunday's game. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is playing at a higher level compared to last year, when the Bengals had a weaker wall, so there's that upside for Cincinnati.

Expect Buffalo to take advantage of that. But who will take advantage of the other's flaws more aggressively?

The Strictly Stripes crew puts a bow on the weekend and sets the stage for this week's divisional showdown between two teams picking up where they left off after their initial meeting this season was canceled.

This podcast features Mohammad Ahmad, Andrew Gillis and Michael Niziolek.

Music: Starfields by Hallman

Music Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/nQ9ldbVF7D/

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Deja vu.

After last year's wild card over the Raiders came down to the final play of the game, the Cincinnati Bengals open this year's postseason with a win over the Baltimore Ravens in very similar fashion.

There was no interception from Germaine Pratt to seal the deal (although there almost was), but the Ravens were one Hail Mary away from potentially sending the game to overtime and nearly knocking off the defending AFC champion Bengals.

From Sam Hubbard's legendary fumble return touchdown to Joe Burrow's ability to sustain pressure from the Ravens' pass rush, the Bengals somehow sneak out another playoff as they have won playoff games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise history.

Speaking of franchise history, that win marks their ninth-straight win, the longest-ever win streak in team history.

There's a lot for the Bengals to celebrate and enjoy after exorcising some prime-time demons on Sunday Night Football. However, there's certainly much the Bengals need to unpack, including their now hobbled and banged up offensive line, a lack of rhythm from Burrow in the game's final stanza and several missed plays by Cincinnati's defense.

They're on to Buffalo as they'll play the Bills for the first time since that fateful Monday Night Football game almost weeks ago. How concerned should the Bengals be as they hope to return to back-to-back AFC Championship games?

The Strictly Stripes Crew is at Paycor Stadium with all the analysis, input and insight on what made the Bengals' win special and why they shouldn't celebrate too hard before getting ready for Buffalo. They also hand out their weekly game balls and set the stage for next Sunday.

This podcast features Mohammad Ahmad, Andrew Gillis and Michael Niziolek.

Music: Starfields by Hallman

Music Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/nQ9ldbVF7D/

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