We’re slowly approaching kick-off of Super Bowl LVIII, which means it’s time to get your bets in line.

You can, of course, bet on the spread, total, and moneyline for the game over at FanDuel Sportsbook, but they also have a ton of player props, game props, and specials loaded up to make it even more fun to get in on the action.

Here are my three favorites for the big game:

Anytime Touchdown Scorer

The Pick: Travis Kelce EVEN

You think Taylor Swift is traveling all the way from Japan to Las Vegas to not see Travis score a touchdown?!

For as below-average as Kelce was this regular season (tallying under 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since 2015) he’s shown up in the playoffs. The 34-year-old has been incredibly efficient, catching 23 catches on his 27 targets and hauling in all 11 of his targets in the AFC Championship Game.

He also has three touchdowns over their last two games. He notches another on Sunday.

Player to Record a Sack

The Pick: Chris Jones +132

While a) Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones has yet to record a full sack this postseason and b) San Francisco’s offensive line seldom allows them, Sunday feels like his time to shine.

Working with defensive guru and coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the 6-foot-6 mammoth gets after Brock Purdy at least once.

Triple Crown – Most Passing, Receiving, Rushing Yards

The Pick: Patrick Mahomes/Travis Kelce/Christian McCaffrey +710

This is one of the more intruiging bets FanDuel has to offer for Sunday and, while I’m going with the favorite, the +710 odds feel too good to pass up.

Mahomes is the best quarterback in football and only has to beat out Brock Purdy, Kelce is the best pass catcher in the game and has been a monster so far in the postseason, and Christian McCaffrey is both the best running back in football and the heartbeat of the 49ers offense.

Like I said, too good to pass up.

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick and head to FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook, for all of your sports wagering.

The post Three Best Player Props for Super Bowl LVIII Sunday appeared first on CLNS Media.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday to you and yours!

The big game is here as the AFC’s three-seed Kansas Chiefs and the NFC’s one-seed San Francisco 49ers are set to face off in Super Bowl LVIII. The game will kick off at 6:30 p.m. from Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium air on CBS. Jim Nantz and Tony Romo will be on the call.

Oh, and you can bet on it! Before we get into the game itself, here’s a look at all of our other gambling content for the week:

Super Bowl LVIII Early Line: 49ers Open as 2.5-Point Favorites Over Chiefs

Rob Gronkowski’s Super Bowl Kick of Destiny 2 – Will He Make It?

Super Bowl LVIII Chiefs vs. 49ers – Betting Specials

Kadlick’s Top 5 Picks to Win Super Bowl LVIII MVP

Now here are the odds for the contest, brought to you by our exclusive wagering partners at FanDuel Sportsbook:

Odds – 49ers vs. Chiefs

Spread: 49ers -2.5

Moneyline: 49ers -130/Chiefs +110

Total: O/U 47.5

Storylines

Here’s a look at some big-picture storylines to watch ahead of Sunday’s big game in Sin City:

— Patrick Mahomes is set to start in his fourth Super Bowl since becoming the Chiefs starting quarterback at the start of the 2018 season. He’s 2-1 in his previous three and has thrown five touchdowns to four interceptions.

— 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, the 262nd pick in the 2022 NFL Draft (a.k.a. Mr. Irrelevant), has been sensational for San Francisco over the course of the last two seasons. The 24-year-old has thrown for 44 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions sine taking over for Jimmy Garoppolo last season, and now gets a chance to play in his first Super Bowl. Labeled a “game manager”, Purdy said of the title on Tuesday: “If you’re saying I’m a game manager and I don’t look flashy in how I do it, that’s your opinion and that’s okay… I think winning at the end of the day is the biggest and most important thing.”

— Sunday’s game features a matchup between two of the game’s best tight ends in Travis Kelce and George Kittle. Kelce fell off a bit this past regular season, failing to surpass 1,000 yards receiving for the first time since 2015, but he continues to dominate in the playoffs. The 34-year-old has hauled in 23 catches on 27 targets this postseason and also put up an 11-for-11 performance in the AFC Championship Game for 116 yards and a touchdown. Kittle, meanwhile, bounced back in 2023 by tallying his first 1,000-yard season since 2019 and continuing to be a mainstay as a blocker in San Francisco’s rushing offense. Both players are crucial to their team’s output.

— Both teams were also incredible defensively this past season. The Chiefs were second in points allowed per game with 17.3, and the 49ers were third with 17.5.

Predictions and Picks

You think I’m picking against Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl?! No chance.

The 49ers put up a fight but in the end, the 28-year-old Mahomes once again puts together a magnificent performance on the game’s biggest state and continues to inch closer to Tom Brady in the “greatest ever” conversation.

Score: Chiefs 34 – 49ers 24

Side: Chiefs +2.5

Total: OVER 47.5

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick and head to FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook, for all of your sports wagering.

The post Super Bowl LVIII 49ers vs. Chiefs – Betting Odds, Preview, and Prediction appeared first on CLNS Media.

The Patriots got themselves back in the win column this last week with a 21-18 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and now head into Week 15 with a 3-10 record and four games remaining in the season.

They’ll welcome the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs to Foxborough this weekend,

Here are the betting odds, according to our exclusive wagering partners at FanDuel Sportsbook:

Odds – Patriots vs. Chiefs

Spread: Chiefs -8.5

Moneyline: Patriots -420/Patriots +330

Total: O/U 37

Storylines

With the Chiefs coming into Sunday’s game having lost two games in a row for the first time since 2021 and the Patriots rumored to be parting ways with their head coach this coming offseason, the top storyline in this one, naturally, is Taylor Swift.

The pop sensation, who is dating Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, is rumored to be attending Sunday’s game in Foxborough. Swift has played Gillette Stadium over 11 times in her righteous music career and supposedly has an affinity for the area.

During his (now) weekly interview with WEEI’s Jones and Mego this week, Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe said he was not a fan of Swift, which sparked some controversy.

“Okay, so, listen to the whole quote,” Zappe said during his Wednesday press conference to clarify. “I said I’m not not a fan. I used to be a fan. I’m a country guy. I listen to country music. She used to be country. There was times where, of course, Taylor Swift’s country songs came on. I’d listen to it. Now she’s moved over to pop. I’m not a pop guy. So, I’m a fan. I just don’t listen to that type of music. So, just to clear that up in there.”

I’m glad we got that cleared up.

As for the Belichick storyline, it was reported this week by NBC Sports Boston’s Tom. E. Curran that, “when [the Patriots] came out of Germany, conversations I had made it very clear that a decision was made and they were going to play out the string, and at the end of the year there would be a parting of the ways [with Belichick].”

Curran has since added that, while the Krafts could change their mind, the chances of that are “remote”.

Predictions and Picks

As for the game itself on Sunday, I think the Chiefs will bounce back in this one, with the Patriots coming back to earth. Kansas City has too much to play for with a playoff berth not suddenly on the line, and with New England really only playing one good half of football over the last month and a half, it’s more likely that they throw up a dud again that get a second win in a row.

I like the Chiefs laying the points in this one, and I like the over 37.

Score: Chiefs 24 – Patriots 13

Side: Chiefs -8.5

Total: OVER 37

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick and head to FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook, for all of your sports wagering.

The post Patriots vs. Chiefs Week 15 Betting Odds, Preview, and Prediction appeared first on CLNS Media.

A Super Bowl LVII rematch. The Kelce Bowl. The Swift Bowl. A chance to watch Patrick Mahomes in primetime.

No matter how you describe it, the 8-1 Philadelphia Eagles are headed to Kansas City on Monday night to take on the 7-2 Chiefs.

Wanna bet on it? Here are the odds, according to our exclusive wagering partners at FanDuel Sportsbook:

Odds – Eagles vs. Chiefs

Spread: Chiefs -2.5

Moneyline: Chiefs -148/Eagles +126

Total: O/U 45.5

Storylines

As the great Peter King does in his FMIA column every Monday, and since there’s almost too much to talk about in this one, we’re going to go with Boldface names/Topics for the storylines in this one.

— Jason and Travis Kelce, brothers two years apart (Jason, 36. Travis, 34), will face off for the fifth time in their careers. Travis is 4-0 in their previous matchups.

— Will Taylor Swift be in attendance? The pop star, who is now outwardly dating Travis Kelce of the Chiefs, has been attending her new boyfriend’s games of late and is also supposedly an Eagles fan.

— Somehow, the one flying under the radar in this one is Patrick Mahomes. The best player in football, Mahomes is putting together another magical season with 2,442 yards and 17 touchdown passes while also having the third-highest QBR (72.8) in the NFL.

— 8-1 vs. 7-2, this matchup between the Eagles and Chiefs pins not only the top team in each conference against each other this weekend, but also two of the top three on FanDuel’s board to win the Super Bowl this coming February (No. 1 Chiefs +420, No. 3 Eagles +500). The 49ers sit in between them at +470.

— This one is also the Andy Reid Bowl. Reid coached the Eagles from 1999-2012, winning six NFC East titles while appearing in four NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl. After being fired in ’12, he joined the Chiefs the following season and has shined. Kansas City has won seven straight AFC West titles, as well as two of the last four Super bowls behind the lead of both he and Mahomes.

Predictions and Picks

Now, for the actual football game. Both of these teams have staunch, hard-nosed defenses to match up with their electric high-powered offenses that are arguably the reason they’ll each have a real chance at making the Super Bowl yet again.

On Monday, though? I think the offenses shine. Mahomes and Jalen Hurts shine in a back-and-forth heavyweight contest, with the Chiefs once again coming out on top. I like Kansas City laying the points and the over in this one.

Score: Chiefs 31 – Eagles 27

Side: Chiefs -2.5

Total: OVER 45.5

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick and head to FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook, for all of your sports wagering.

The post The Kelce Bowl! Eagles at Chiefs – Betting Odds, Previews, and Predictions appeared first on CLNS Media.

CINCINNATI — The Bengals have just one more hurdle to clear to return to the biggest game in American sports.

But it figures to be the steepest hurdle in the most unwelcoming environment as frigid temperatures and another hostile crowd awaits them Sunday evening at Arrowhead Stadium when they battle Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship. The forecast calls for clear skies and temperatures around 20 with a wind chill in the single digits for the 6:30 p.m. ET kickoff.

This weekend’s game will mark the fourth meeting in 13 months between the two non-division opponents. Their three 2022 calendar-year games include two ’21 season contests played last January — a 34-31 Week 17 win at Cincinnati, and a 27-24 OT victory in the AFC Championship at Kansas City. Germaine Pratt forced and recovered a Kelce fumble in the fourth quarter with the Chiefs leading 24-20 that sparked a Bengals comeback in a 27-24 Week 13 win at Cincinnati on Dec. 4.

One thing is for sure, the Bengals almost certainly won’t be able to repeat last year’s miraculous comeback when they wiped out a 21-3 first half hole and a 21-10 halftime deficit.

“Ready to go. Had a great week of practice,” Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said. “All of our stuff is dialed up and ready to go. We’re excited where we’re at.”

Cincinnati is making its fourth AFC Championship appearance, winning its previous three at the end of the 1981, 1988 and 2021 seasons. The Bengals are the only team unbeaten in AFC Championship appearances.

They earned their spot in the NFL’s final four by way of a dominant 27-10 road win over the No. 2-seeded Buffalo Bills in a snowy AFC Divisional Playoff last Sunday. Cincinnati battled through the conditions to record 412 net yards of offense, including 172 rushing, while defensively it held the high-scoring Bills to season lows in points (10) and rushing yards (63).

"Whether we're up, down, we've been in all situations." Sam Hubbard #Bengals pic.twitter.com/ZTqWMenEEC

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) January 27, 2023

“It was one of the best games of the year,” Burrow said after the game. “Rushing, pass blocking — it might be our most complete game of the season as a team.”

Burrow completed 23 of 36 passes for 242 yards and two TDs, while committing zero turnovers. His best work was done early on, however, as on the opening two offensive drives he went nine for nine for 105 yards and a pair of passing scores to give the Bengals a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

What do you think you did best against Buffalo and what did the team do best against Buffalo?

“We jumped out on them early. When you that you kind of play the rest of the game a little differently, especially when your defense is playing so well,” Burrow said. “I thought the whole game we took what their defense gave us. We kept the chains moving. We had 30 first downs. When you do that, you jump out early, you control the clock and run the ball the way that we did, you’re going to win a lot of games. Obviously there are going to be some games you have to force it a little more and push the ball down the field. We jumped on them. The defense is playing great, try to run the ball, take check-downs and get first downs and that’s what we did.

Cincinnati was given the first possession of the game and marched 79 yards in six plays, capped by a 28-yard pass to Ja’Marr Chase, who found the end zone for his ninth TD in his last nine games played.

Following a quick three-and-out forced by the Bengals’ defense, Burrow went right back to work, steering a five-play, 72-yard drive that finished with a 15-yard TD pass to tight end Hayden Hurst.

“Our guys believe. They walk on the field ready to attack,” head coach Zac Taylor said. “We were taking the ball whether we won the coin toss or not. Those guys want to walk on the field and start attacking other teams, and that’s what happened.”

The offense was able to sustain drives throughout the afternoon, totaling a Bengals postseason record 30 first downs to slowly drown out the raucous Buffalo home crowd. Perhaps the most impressive performance on that side of the ball came from the offensive line, which was missing three starters entering the game but limited the Bills to just one sack and consistently provided Burrow with time in the pocket.

“To rush for over 170 yards in this environment, to handle the noise the way they did, to protect Joe (Burrow) the way that they did — I thought our offensive line was outstanding,” Taylor said.

The run game will again be critical Sunday in Kansas City if they are to take the crowd out of the game and not let them reach full throat and disrupt the cadence of the offensive line, including left tackle Jackson Carman, right guard Max Scharping and right tackle Hakeem Adeniji. Those three offensive linemen were a big reason the Bengals had such success early in Buffalo.

Defensively, the Bengals shut down a Bills side that ranked in the top 10 in scoring, total offense, passing and rushing during the regular season. Coordinator Lou Anarumo’s unit forced four punts, and a field goal that cut Buffalo’s deficit to 17-10 midway through the third quarter proved to be its final points of the day. The 10 points given up tied for the second-fewest yielded in a postseason game in Bengals history.

"We're in this spot back to back years and if you had told people that a couple of years ago, they would've thought we were crazy." Joe Burrow #Bengals pic.twitter.com/FW4CMObLFo

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) January 27, 2023

The Bengals answered Buffalo’s third-quarter field goal with a methodical 12-play, 75-yard drive which featured seven runs and five passes. Joe Mixon punctuated the drive with a one-yard TD that regained Cincinnati’s two-score advantage.

Buffalo put together two extended drives in the fourth quarter, desperately trying to close the gap as time wound down. The Bills came up empty on both possessions, though, beginning with a fourth-down from the Cincinnati 16-yard line that saw Josh Allen’s pass to the end zone broken up by Eli Apple.

Allen then drove Buffalo inside Bengals territory on a last-gasp possession with under two minutes left, but the game was put to bed when rookie CB Cam Taylor-Britt grabbed his first career INT, leading to the Cincinnati defense celebrating with snow angels as chants of “Who Dey” rained down from the traveling fan base.

“I thought Lou and the staff did a great job formulating a plan,” head coach Zac Taylor said. “Our defensive line led the way by harassing (Allen), and everybody else fed off that. There was great communication on the back end. I’ll highlight the defensive ends, because they really got the party started, but I thought our whole defense played excellent throughout the whole game.”

The Bengals, which won at top-seeded Tennessee in the Divisional Playoff last year before taking the AFC title at Kansas City, now have a chance to become the fifth team in NFL history to win four consecutive road postseason games. Standing in their way of a second straight Super Bowl berth is once again Arrowhead Stadium, where they will meet a Chiefs offense that led the league during the regular season in points and passing yards per game.

“We’ve got to beat them one time in a row,” Taylor said. “Obviously, there’s more familiarity personnel-wise amongst both teams now. We understand the environment we’re walking into — that doesn’t hurt. But at the end of the day, it feels like we played them a really long time ago. Teams continue to evolve. Different strengths pop up, different weaknesses pop up, and so you’ve got to do the whole game planning thing all over again and get your guys ready to go.”

Sunday will mark just the third time over the past 35 years that the AFC Championship is a rematch of the same teams from the previous season, with the last two instances coming in 2011-12 (Patriots vs. Ravens) and 1986-87 (Broncos vs. Browns).

What to watch:

Last week, the Bengals came out and exerted their will in the trenches. Joe Mixon had 36 yards on his first four carries. The Bengals had 14 points on the board before the 70,000 at Highmark Stadium had settled into their snow-covered seats. It’s going to be a lot more difficult to do that this week against one of the best nose tackles in football. Jones and Nnadi comprise a formidable duo in the middle of the Kansas City line. The Bengals may have to pass to loosen up the Chiefs defensive front. But to do that, Burrow will have to get rid of the ball quickly and accurately. Ted Karras, Cordell Volson and Max Scharping appear poised to handle the challenge. The battle in the trenches will be one worth watching.

If Burrow has any time to throw, he’s proven deadly against the Kansas City secondary. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo made a name for himself with the Giants, ending Tom Brady’s bid for a 19-0 season in 2007 when he was the architect of a defense that shut down the highest scoring offense in NFL history in Super Bowl XLII. On Dec. 4 against the Chiefs, he was 25-of-31 for 286 yards and two touchdowns, no interceptions. Burrow mentioned Friday how impressed he’s been this season with rookie corners Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie and how much progress they’ve made through the season. But he’ll not hesitate testing them with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. Hayden Hurst had two catches for 12 yards before leaving with a calf injury in the first half. If Hurst can stay on the field Sunday, he’ll be a huge weapon against Spag’s defense.

For all the talk of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, the real fear for Lou Anarumo could be running backs Jerick McKinnon and Isiah Pacheco running wild on the Bengals like they did on Dec. 4. The two combined for 22 carries and 117 yards. If they get going, it could keep the Bengals pass rush honest and give Mahomes that extra second to fire the ball downfield. Those two running backs are a huge reason the Chiefs finished No. 1 in the NFL in total offense at 413.6 yards per game. How will Anarumo employ linebackers Logan Wilson, Germaine Pratt and Akeem Davis-Gaither? Also, DJ Reader and BJ Hill against Creed Humphrey and Joe Thuney will as important as the Chiefs DL vs. the Bengals OL. How will Reader and Hill try to disrupt the Chiefs at the line of scrimmage?

Ever since severely spraining his right ankle last Saturday against Jacksonville, Patrick Mahomes has received the best possible treatment to get him ready for Sunday evening. Zac Taylor says the Bengals are preparing for the “best” Mahomes at quarterback. Smart idea. But that doesn’t mean you don’t force Mahomes to prove it. The Yankees refused to drop bunts on Curt Schilling in the 2004 ALCS with his bloody red ankle surgically repaired. The Bengals won’t make the same mistake. They have a quartet of pass rushers in Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, Joseph Ossai and Cam Sample. You’re also going to see Mike Hilton come from all different angles to force Mahomes to move on that ankle and try to throw. Mahomes has always proven to be the best passer in the NFL on the run. The Bengals need to find out early if that’s still the case.

Flowers returned to full strength this week in practice and should be ready to draw the Kelce assignment. Kelce had just four catches for 56 yards in the Week 13 contest. The Bengals, for the most part, have done a very impressive job taking away tight ends in the last two seasons. This will be yet another supreme test for Anarumo’s gang. Last week, Dawson Knox had five catches for 65 yards. But 51 of those yards came on three catches in the fourth quarter, with the Bengals up, 27-10.

The Bengals do have swagger. They play with the right combination of confidence and focus that is befitting of a championship team. The Bengals also have a very strong sense of drive to finally complete something that just eluded their grasp a year ago. Bitter cold and another sea of red won’t phase them. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones and the rest of the star-laden Chiefs won’t intimidate them. If we’ve learned anything from road playoff wins over the last two seasons in Tennessee, Kansas City and Buffalo – three of the very toughest places to win in the AFC – the Bengals don’t wilt in big situations with the bright lights on. The ending won’t be as dramatic this time but the result will be just as satisfying.

Bengals 27, Chiefs 20

The post W2L4: How Bengals Ignore The Noise And Beat Chiefs To Punch Ticket To Super Bowl LVII appeared first on CLNS Media.

And not only did the Bengals win the game, they put themselves back in the upper echelon of teams that are now favored to win the Super Bowl.

Thanks to another 27-24 thriller over Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs before a supercharged sellout of 66,243, the 8-4 Bengals have put themselves in the conversation with the Eagles, Vikings, Chiefs and Bills as legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

But to discuss something that is two months and a ton of variables away is to miss the point of what Sunday was all about.

It was about the Bengals continuing to show they can do what great teams do, find a way to win in spite of themselves against the best competition.

“This team is so confident right now,” Zac Taylor said. “This is what we visualized entirely. I know a lot is made because they’re a tremendous football team. We are a tremendous football team as well. This team is playing as well as I hoped we’d be playing right here in early December. Like I told our guys, we didn’t win a division championship today. We didn’t win our conference. We just won a game in early December.”

Therein lies the key.

Yes, this was just one game. One game in early December that didn’t clinch anything. But looking at why they won this game is really the essence and reason the Bengals are right to have so much confidence heading into the final five games.

“They gotta play us” took on new meaning Sunday.

The Bengals looked like your typical fast-starting team that teams like the Chiefs have faced countless times before in the past four year of the Patrick Mahomes era. They hang on long enough, even down 14-3, for Mahomes to get warmed up.

And unlike the two games in January, it was the Bengals who got out to the early lead. But the Chiefs made their predictable run and when the Bengals failed on third-and-1 and fourth-and-inches at the Chiefs 4 before halftime, there was this dread that the Bengals were going to pay dearly for that lack of execution.

When Tyler Boyd dropped a sure touchdown pass on third down in the third quarter, settling for an Evan McPherson field goal that tied the game, 17-17, there was an even bigger sense of doom.

Jonah Williams was called for being illegally downfield taking away a chance at a fourth-and-inches shot down, 24-17.

This wasn’t any ordinary team that wastes opportunities to put teams away. These are the Chiefs and Mahomes.

Sure enough, the Chiefs got the ball back, went down and scored a touchdown for a 24-17 lead and the game had that feel. The Bengals weren’t going to need one play. They were going to need several in the fourth quarter with no margin of error.

Play 1: Trailing 24-20, Germaine Pratt strips the best tight end in football and one of the best in the modern era and forces a fumble at midfield. Bengals go down and score the go-ahead touchdown for a 27-24 lead.

“We knew that we needed to make a turnover,” Pratt said. “We were in Cover-3, Kelce sat down in a little weak spot of the defense. I just had an opportunity to go for the ball.

“Anytime you go against a great team like Kansas City, you want to impose your will on those guys — show them how much of a physical team we are, and how well-connected we are, and try to get a win.”

Germaine Pratt says thank you Kelce, I'll take that pic.twitter.com/eEWWj64KOI

— Cincinnati ? (@CincyProblems) December 4, 2022

Play 2: Leading 27-24 with the Chiefs driving deep into Bengals territory, Joseph Ossai makes a shoe-string sack of Patrick Mahomes on third down that forces a 55-yard Harrison Butker field goal attempt wide right with 3:19 remaining.

Pure athleticism from Joseph Ossai in chasing down Patrick Mahomes. Bengals drafted him for tenacity on plays like this. "Spy" runner never gave up. pic.twitter.com/0prGwwzNZI

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) December 5, 2022

Play 3: On third-and-11 at the Kansas City 28, with the Chiefs out of timeouts, Joe Burrow calls for a pass – not a run – and fires a seed to Tee Higgins for 11 yards and a game-clinching first down.

On 3rd & 11, #Bengals QB Joe Burrow delivers a dart to WR Tee Higgins, who picks up 14 yards & the first down. That's the ball game. #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/MLIXJE6pxI

— Devon Clements (@DevclemNFL) December 5, 2022

Those three plays, not the multitude of mistakes that came before, defined the Bengals on this Sunday.

Great teams are going to make mistakes.

The Bengals have great players who don’t blink in critical situations.

“We have players that have been in these spots before,” Burrow told me. “Whether it’s college or last year, we’ve accumulated players that it matters to them. The character of these guys is what wins games down the stretch in December and January. They’ve done a great job of finding those guys; we have one of the best locker rooms I’ve been around. You feel the energy in the room every single day. We have the utmost faith in one another. If one unit isn’t playing great, the other one will step up and make plays.”

Then there’s this exchange Ja’Marr Chase relayed after the game after Chase went out of bounds on the first play after the Butker field goal miss.

“It’s funny because Tee went off on me today. Tee never went off on me (before). So, when Tee went off on me, I was a little struck. I was supposed to stay and fall in bounds on the two-minute drill. Tee looked at me and started going off, I didn’t expect him to do that. So that means he’s caring, and he wants me to do the right thing. I need somebody to be on me like that, so … good teammate.”

Want to know what makes great teams? Great players that push each other. The football cliché that the Baltimore Ravens have used for years is true in Cincinnati – Iron Sharpens Iron.

“We still have a long ways to go. We’ve got Cleveland coming in our house next week and we want to keep the momentum rolling. So, I think we got the right mindset right now to handle this victory and be ready to move on next week to Cleveland.”

Enjoy what you witnessed on Sunday and hope that we get to see plenty more in the coming weeks and months.

The post Joe Burrow, Bengals Show More Championship Character In Electrifying Win Over Chiefs appeared first on CLNS Media.

CINCINNATI – The upstart team in stripes is 60 minutes from a real-life Hollywood story.

After going 31 years without a taste of playoff success, these Bengals will punch their ticket to Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium if they capture their third playoff win in three weeks Sunday in Kansas City.

To get there, they must find a way to defeat Patrick Mahomes and the two-time defending AFC champion Chiefs for the second time in the month of January. This time, they won’t have the Jungle behind them. They’ll have to deal with one of the loudest venues in pro sports as Arrowhead Stadium will be at full throat, something the Bengals have tried to prepare for this week in practice, through piped-in crowd noise inside Paul Brown Stadium.

The decibels from the 73,000 will approach jet-engine levels. Last week, that clearly disrupted the communications along the offensive line early on, as the Bengals suffered sack after sack after sack in the first half.

“It really starts with me, getting the play in quickly so Joe’s got time to discuss in the huddle and make the adjustments at the line of scrimmage that we need to make,” Zac Taylor told me. “We’ve played in really loud environments before. I know this will be a different situation and with that brings kind of a different ramp up of crowd noise. We’ve been in (Paul Brown Stadium). We’ve used our stadium speakers and I think they’ve been really effective and allowed us to get good quality work and stress our communications so that we’ll be ready on Sunday.”

The last time the Bengals played the Chiefs: pic.twitter.com/1034P2wVlE

— WINCINNATI (@WINCINNATI_) January 25, 2022

Taylor has hammered on the point of details and keeping the eye on the prize in Kansas City and absolutely no further west toward Southern California.

“We have to have a narrow focus and this needs to be the best seven days we’ve had as Bengals yet, and not just on the practice field just overall. Put yourself in the best position to be at your best on Sunday, and not look beyond that.

“Our focus right now is being AFC champions, and to do that, we’ve got to go through the team that’s played in the last four AFC Championship games, the last two Super Bowls. I think it’s appropriate that if you want to get where you want to go, you’ve got to go through Kansas City. Again, that’s our whole narrow focus.”

The Bengals allowed three first-quarter sacks against the Titans, the first time a team allowed that many in a quarter of postseason play since the Eagles had Donovan McNabb sacked three times in the first quarter of Super Bowl XXXIX. Of course, that was just the beginning as Burrow hit the ground nine times but lived to tell the tale in a 19-16 Bengals win.

“It feels great,” said Bengals head coach Zac Taylor. “This is the expectation for these guys — it’s not too big for them.

“I know we haven’t been here before, but it sure feels like we have. You see the attitude of the team and the confidence that they have, that we’re going to find a way to win. You just can’t replace the confidence that these guys have earned in themselves.”

While the Bengals are only 7-14 all-time in the playoffs, they are 2-0 at this level, having beaten the Chargers, 27-7, in the “Ice Bowl” AFC Championship on Jan. 10, 1982, and the Bills, 21-10, in the AFC title game on Jan. 8, 1989. Both games, however, were in the old Jungle at Riverfront Stadium.

This is the fourth straight season the Chiefs will host the AFC title game at Arrowhead, a new NFL record. The Chiefs lost in overtime in Jan. 2019 to the Patriots before knocking off the Titans and Bills in the last two seasons. The Chiefs, of course, beat the Bills, 42-36, in an overtime classic last Sunday that had the two teams combine for 31 points in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime.

Mahomes completed 33 passes for 378 yards with three TDs and one rushing touchdown last week. The week prior, KC defeated the Steelers 42-21 in the AFC Wild Card Round. Mahomes threw five TDs to five different players. KC finished regular season play with a 12-5 record and the number two seed in the AFC.

The Chiefs finished the 2021 season winning nine of their last 10 games after a 3-4 start. The only loss in those final 10 games was the 34-31 thriller won by the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on Evan McPherson’s game-winning kick at the gun. The Chiefs are one game away from their third straight Super Bowl appearance.

“I don’t think you go there,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “In this thing, you’re trying to exhaust every minute on the team you’re playing and if you’re at this level, they’re a good football team. Cincinnati is that team now. You don’t even let your mind go to the other place (Super Bowl), at least I don’t. You get into trouble doing that. You’ve got to spend the time on the team you’re playing, and that’s where we’re at right now.”

Joe Burrow: While taking 11 sacks in two games (9 last week vs. Titans), Burrow has followed rule No. 1 of the playoffs, don’t turn the ball over. His only interception was a dropped pass by Samaje Perine that landed in the hands of Amani Hooker and was ruled an interception as he had control before it hit the grass. If Burrow can stay out of the interception column like he did in his last two regular season games against the Ravens and Chiefs (9 TD, 0 INTs), the chances for a Bengals upset rise dramatically. Burrow’s intangible of playing to the moment is one of the many reasons his teammates (rightly) put so much trust in him. From beating Alabama on the road, to crushing Oklahoma to rallying against Clemson in the national championship, Burrow did it all in 2019. This season, he rallied the team in Denver, steadied the ship against the Raiders and made the biggest pass of the season with 20 seconds left against the Titans. Another big moment awaits Sunday at Arrowhead.

Ja’Marr Chase vs. Steve Spagnuolo: What will Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo do about the Bengals wide receiver? Will he play essentially the same defense and expect his secondary to make a tackle and not to get drag-raced to the end zone or will he throw some match zones against him? After 11 catches in 12 targets for 266 yards and three touchdowns on Jan. 2, Spagnuolo will likely throw some new wrinkle at both Burrow and Chase. “He has a good scheme and he’s relentless in the working categories,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told me. “He’s going to spend the time to make sure he covers everything.”

Tee Higgins: If Spagnuolo does spend more ammunition on Chase, there should be more chances for Higgins. Higgins had another very good year for the Bengals, and he came alive last week in Tennessee, catching seven passes on nine targets for 96 yards. He has been clutch over the middle for Burrow when teams have taken away Chase outside the numbers.

Tyrann Mathieu: The Chiefs secondary looked very vulnerable last Sunday when their leader Tyrann Mathieu went out with a concussion in the first quarter after a collision with defensive tackle Jarran Reed and did not return. That might be part of the reason Gabriel Davis was able to get so open for an NFL record four touchdowns in a playoff game, including the go-ahead score with 13 seconds left. Mathieu returned to full participation at practice Thursday and should be a go for the game.

Patrick Mahomes: This is Lou Anarumo’s biggest challenge of his career. Contain the game’s most dynamic and explosive quarterback. Part of the strategy will be having eyes on the quarterback at all times so that he doesn’t take off up the middle for 20 or 30-yard runs like he did with the Bills. Nothing kills a defense more than having Mahomes third-and-8 and watching him take off for a 15-yard joyride up the middle. Of course, the quarterback can make any throw from any spot on the field. Mahomes was at his very best when the Chiefs needed him most last weekend. Down, 29-26, Mahomes threw a dart over the middle to Tyreek Hill and he raced 64 yards for a go-ahead TD. With 13 seconds left, he hit Hill for 19 yards and Travis Kelce for 25 yards to set-up the game-tying field goal. In overtime, he was 6-for-6 for 69 yards and the game-winner to Kelce in a perfect spot.

Pattern Match Zone: Will Anarumo take a page out of the Nick Saban-Bill Belichick book and go with a defense that meshes man defense close to the line of scrimmage to deny easy and free releases and then have a nickel or dime secondary behind it to try and contain (contain being the critical word here) the group of Hill, Byron Pringle, Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson, Jerick McKinnon and Travis Kelce? Aside from Hill getting behind everyone at the end of the first half (saved by Vonn Bell), it worked brilliantly in the second half on Jan. 2.

Clutch play after clutch play. The defense continues to deliver.

?: AFC Championship Game – 1/30 on CBS pic.twitter.com/I9O3cvGrMF

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 24, 2022

Red zone defense: This has been the Bengals calling card in two playoff wins. It will have to be again if the Stripes are to make it to the Super Bowl for the first time in 33 years. Not many things can silence a roaring crowd of 73,000 at Arrowhead quite like holding a high-power Chiefs offense to field goals or nothing inside the 20. The Bengals were 4-for-5 in keeping the Raiders out of the end zone in the red zone in the Wild Card round. They allowed only a direct snap TD run to Derrick Henry in three chances last week. When Travis Kelce is in the red zone, don’t be surprised to see double-teams as Anarumo won’t have to worry about speedy receivers breaking loose 40 yards downfield. This is also the area where it’s more likely Anarumo turns a blitz or two loose on Mahomes, like he did on his Jessie Bates ‘0-blitz’ in the fourth quarter Jan. 2 that held the Chiefs to a game-tying field goal.

What more needs to be said about one of the best rookie kicking seasons in recent NFL memory? Evan McPherson has been “Money Mac”, “Shooter” and “EZ-Evan” all rolled into one. He’s converted all eight field goal attempts in the playoffs and all three extra points. He’s account for 27 of Cincinnati’s 45 points in the postseason.

We started in Tennessee where @JoeyB literally KISSED@McPherson_Evan in the @Bengals celebration. pic.twitter.com/0gptUubqRS

— NFL (@NFL) January 24, 2022

Kevin Huber punted five times against the Titans, with two downed inside the 20. A veteran punter in a big game can be a crucial weapon, especially when the goal is to make the Chiefs drive as much of the field as possible.

The #Bengals special teams have an advantage – keep your eyes on play makers like Tre Flowers.

? Bengals have a 85.3 PFF Special Teams Grade… 2nd best in the playoffs

? Chiefs have a 62.9 Special Teams Grade… ranks 11th of 14 in the playoffs.pic.twitter.com/iJ4qx5F4fh

— Willie Lutz (@willie_lutz) January 28, 2022

Harrison Butker might have missed a 50-yarder before halftime against the Bills and yanked an extra point wide last Sunday, but he is also one of the game’s better kickers in the clutch. With the game on the line, he drilled a 49-yarder to send the game to overtime before Travis Kelce won it. In Jan. 2019, he nailed a 39-yarder to send the AFC Championship to overtime before Rex Burkhead sent the Patriots to the Super Bowl.

Not called upon often, Tommy Townsend only had two punts Sunday but they were beauties. He had a 50-yarder from his end zone that flipped the field and a 38-yarder that pinned the Bills at their 8. Four of his six punts this postseason have pinned the opponent inside the 20.

The Divisional Round #NFLWayToPlay Award recipient…@Bengals LB Logan Wilson ?@criscarter80 breaks down the play that earned @ljw21 a $2,500 equipment grant for the youth football program of his choice https://t.co/nFK1rziTMS | via @gmfb pic.twitter.com/R8qnaMMAu6

— NFL Football Operations (@NFLFootballOps) January 27, 2022

The Bengals have come this far on guile, determination and Joe Burrow’s ability to get up off the ground after constant pressure and hits. The Bengals also have that quality that champions possess – the ability to come up with a big play at the big moment. Against the Raiders, it was Germaine Pratt stepping in front of a Derek Carr pass with 12 seconds left. Against the Titans, it was Eli Apple deflecting a Ryan Tannehill pass into the waiting arms of Logan Wilson. And, in Joe Burrow, the Bengals have one of the biggest big-game quarterbacks to counter the game’s most dynamic and feared quarterback. The Bengals’ wild safari ride through the AFC leads them through wilderness in Kansas City and onto the Hollywood set for a shot at a long-awaited prize. Evan McPherson does it again, this time in OT.

Bengals 36, Chiefs 33, OT

The post W2L4: What It Will Take From Joe Burrow, Bengals To Upset Chiefs In AFC Championship appeared first on CLNS Media.

While Tony Romo and Jim Nantz of CBS were telling us during Sunday’s Bills-Chiefs AFC Divisional epic that Mahomes vs. Buffalo’s Josh Allen might be the next great rivalry to watch among quarterbacks in the NFL, and certainly the AFC, they might want to take a closer look at the match-up before us this weekend in the AFC Championship.

And it doesn’t stop with the quarterbacks, not by a long shot. This game features two defensive coordinators that will be tested to their limits to make sure their defenses can keep up with elite weapons on the other side. KC’s Steve Spagnuolo is trying to contain Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, C.J. Uzomah, Joe Mixon and Chris Evans.

Cincinnati’s Lou Anarumo will try desperately to replicate the second half on Jan. 2 at Paul Brown Stadium when his defense held Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to three second-half points. Anarumo will be losing sleep this week thinking not only about Mahomes on the ground and through the air but Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, Byron Pringle, Travis Kelce, Jerick McKinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. What happens if the Chiefs throw different wrinkles at the Bengals, which with Chiefs head coach Andy Reid in charge, is a near certainty.

With regard to quarterback play, this game may very well be more of a flashback to the AFC Championship of Jan. 20, 2019, at Arrowhead Stadium, when Tom Brady matched up against the Chiefs, who countered with Patrick Mahomes against Bill Belichick.

Brady and the Patriots jumped out 14-0 at the half. Then Mahomes awoke in the third quarter. The Chiefs eventually took leads of 21-17 and 28-24 before Brady and the Patriots thought they had it won, 31-28. That’s when the Chiefs, just like they did Sunday, marched down the field with under 40 seconds left and managed a Harrison Butker field goal to force overtime. That day, the Patriots won the toss, Rex Burkhead scored the game-winning touchdown without Mahomes getting a chance and it was off to Super Bowl LIII for the Pats.

We meet again. pic.twitter.com/p2Hw1C2mjA

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 24, 2022

Brady won countless playoff games with his mind and his ability to direct chess pieces before the snap. Mahomes, the game’s most athletically gifted quarterback, has reached the AFC title game all four years in his role as starting QB of the Chiefs with throws from every angle and runs that devastate a defense.

After watching Joe Burrow light up the Chiefs for 446 yards and four touchdowns on Jan. 2 in the AFC North-clinching win at Paul Brown Stadium, it’s fairly obvious that Burrow has the intellect to take the place of Brady in this rivalry.

Clearly, Josh Allen played at an amazingly elite level in two playoff games, throwing nine touchdowns and no interceptions. This is not to disparage the Bills quarterback. But when you’re looking at how Allen breaks down teams with his strong arm and powerful mobility, it’s very different from Burrow.

Burrow would rather have a defense beaten before he snaps the ball than try to beat it after he’s scrambling for his life.

“I think it’s still game-by-game and I think you still want to be balanced,” Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said. “But Joe can win us games. And when you get chances to do that, we’re going to probably let him do that. That’s usually how it works with great quarterbacks. And we feel really good that he is one of those types of guys.

“When we get him an opportunity to let him win a game, we think he can win it. But that’s not to say that we’ll just abandon any form of how our offense works and functions to that. But he’s certainly, when given the opportunity, responded well and won us games. It’s all part of how the game flows and how it works together. But at the end of the day, we’ve got all the confidence in the world in Joe to put the ball in his hands, let (him) go win the game.”

Then you have Ja’Marr Chase, who has become Burrow’s binky for very good reason. The two read defenses extraordinarily well.

“You have an idea going into the game by scheme how they play,” Callahan said. “We knew that Las Vegas is majority of a single-high team and they’re going to give you some matchups into boundary 1-on-1. And we were ready to take those. Some of it’s just post-snap recognition. Somebody will try to show a two-high shell and roll out of it. Joe sees those things really quickly. He’s got a great understanding of how the defensive structure works. He knows the 1-on-1s are likely to be. And when he can get Ja’Marr 1-on-1, he’s going to take it all the time.

“And what makes Ja’Marr so good at it is they’re both on the same page. Is it an over-the-top throw? Is it a back shoulder throw? Ja’Marr’s so strong into the boundary that when he gets a chance to release on a corner, if they try to squeeze him, Ja’Marr doesn’t get squeezed. He does a great job keeping his landmark. And he’s got great body control. He looks like a cat sometimes when he’s out there moving around and using his body. He can get his feet down and twist and contort and find the ball. It’s a combination of all those things. But Joe certainly knows when Ja’Marr’s going to be 1-on-1 and takes advantage of those opportunities.”

The last time the Bengals played the Chiefs: pic.twitter.com/1034P2wVlE

— WINCINNATI (@WINCINNATI_) January 25, 2022

The weakness of the Bengals offense in two playoff games has been the very strength of their defense – red zone execution. The offense has just three touchdowns in seven trips. The defense has allowed only two touchdowns in eight tries by the opponent.

“It’s something we stress,” Anarumo said. “We’ve got a good blend of things that we do down there. We’re constantly changing it. The guys execute. So, they understand how important it is down there to keep make them kick field goals. That’s going to be huge this week, obviously. Just staying focused and we cannot allow touchdowns. We’ve got to make them kick field goals.”

That was the essence of the Bengals approach on Jan. 2, when the Bengals held the Chiefs to three points in the second half of Cincinnati’s 34-31 win. Hill had just 40 yards on six catches. Kelce had 25 yards on five grabs. Remarkable numbers.

“I just think guys sticking with the plan and knowing what type of leverage we wanted to play on him, and where and when the help was coming from on (Hill),” Anarumo said. “So, without giving too much away, we’ll see how that looked and how we did there. The yards came out good for us the first time. But they’ll watch that too, and have something, but we’ll certainly have some changeups, for sure.”

To understand the basics of what Anarumo is talking about, watch how the Bengals adjust their coverage at the line of scrimmage, 15 yards deep and over-the-top. The beauty of what the Bengals did lies in their communication and their ability to pass off assignments at the right time. The Bengals could be playing man within the first 8-10 yards and leverage their coverage to the sideline. Then they play a different coverage with different rules 10-20 yards out, and a Cover-2 or Cover-3 deep, which are essentially zones that split the deep part of the field into two or three areas.

Clutch play after clutch play. The defense continues to deliver.

?: AFC Championship Game – 1/30 on CBS pic.twitter.com/I9O3cvGrMF

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 24, 2022

It all depends on whether the Bengals and Anarumo go with what’s essentially considered a pattern match zone, a combination principle where corners, safeties and coverage linebackers have different responsibilities and play different leverage techniques at different depths.

Anarumo has had an outstanding season not only scheming his defense but communicating precisely what he needs from his players every week. The rules of their coverage techniques don’t change but the responsibilities can. Delivering this in a digestible manner is a trait of all great coordinators this deep into the postseason.

“I think just being consistent,” Anarumo said. “I think that the takeaways that we’ve gotten have come at timely moments in the games. And then when we’ve needed a stop at a crucial time, we’ve gotten it. Every week is a grind in the season, then you get to the playoffs, and it ramps up and you’re playing explosive offenses every week.

“So, you don’t want to give up yards, but some of this stuff is inevitable. It’s always about points. You want to do a great job in limiting yards, but at the end of the day, limit the points, win the game, and how do you do that? You do that by playing great red zone defense, taking possessions away from them on takeaways. We have to do that this weekend to give us a chance to be successful.”

Travis Kelce for the win in overtime.

Bengals will play the Chiefs in the AFC Championship.pic.twitter.com/6aKiRNsvSM

— Cincinnati ?? (@CincyProblems) January 24, 2022

Then you must account for the ground game, which torched the Bengals for 155 yards on just 23 carries four weeks ago. Mahomes (69 yards) and Clyde Edwards-Helaire (60 yards), on seven carries each, were part of a ground attack that totaled 182 yards.

“Well, they kind of got you in a bind and they’ve done a great job of just sticking to the run and then when Patrick has to do his thing, he does his thing,” Anarumo told me. “So, knowing that they have that extra or added element now, it just puts that much more stress (on defense). If you’re going to play a light box and play split safety as well, they know that you’re, you’re a gap short or guy short in the front.

“So, it puts extra stress on the big guys up front and the linebackers having to play a gap and a half, and things like that. And then when you got a really special back, like they have, they have a number of them, it adds that much more stress to the whole thing.”

There are so many games within the game this weekend that are worth keeping a close eye on, if the camera operators can keep up.

The post Matchup Zones: Inside The Language That Makes Bengals, Chiefs So Fascinating appeared first on CLNS Media.