Chiefs vs. Bengals live updates: Playoff picture updates, stats, highlights, analysis as Bengals outduel Chiefs (2024)

Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and the Cincinnati Bengals took down a conference heavyweight in the Kansas City Chiefs with Sunday's 34-31 win.

The Bengals are AFC North champions with an impressive win heading into the postseason and are still in play for the AFC's top seed. Check out the complete league-wide playoff picture.

This live blog follows the action from one of Sunday's best games and coverage from The Athletic.

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Cincinnati 34, Kansas City 31 | Box score

Week 17 schedule

Standings

(Photo: Dylan Buell / Getty Images)

When Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker put a 34-yard field goal through the uprights and the ensuing kickoff through the end zone to give the Bengals the ball at their own 25 with 6:01 left in a tie game, the only question was whether the Bengals could answer with a go-ahead score.

The idea of bleeding the final 6:01 off the clock to keep Patrick Mahomes and the explosive Chiefs offense from ever touching the ball again not only seemed preposterous, it felt wrong to even try. The better plan might be to go fast and take the two-for-one approach employed late in basketball games, giving Joe Burrow multiple chances to make magic to Mahomes’ single shot.

And maybe that was the original plan, as the Bengals and Burrow came out firing with three consecutive passes. But circ*mstance has a way of flipping a script. And when it happened Sunday, the Bengals were prepared to take advantage with the greatest going-nowhere, spinning-wheels display of offensive football that has ever produced a fist-pumping, back-slapping, bear-hugging, tear-wiping, cigar-smoking celebration.

There’s always been a thought in the most significant moments, the potentially franchise-altering games, the other shoe will drop. Bengal moments. Only pain fills these voids. That’s the way life always felt for the team with the longest playoff win drought in North American professional sports.

Now they have Joe Burrow.

There’s no describing what that means.

“No, you can’t,” head coach Zac Taylor said. “I don’t think anyone can. We had expectations for him and so far he’s exceeded those expectations. And, of course, he’s got championships on the brain.”

Now, because of Burrow, the Bengals do, too.

Coaching in the NFL, at the most rudimentary level, is about weighing the risk versus the reward.

Do you stay patient, or is it better to be aggressive? Should you rely on your team’s usual playing style or should you change your strategy against a certain opponent? Is it better to force the issue by blitzing, potentially creating an even bigger advantage, or is it wise to surrender a few yards to help ensure the opponent’s scoring opportunity is limited to just one option, the less-desired one?

Throughout his successful 23-year career as a head coach, Andy Reid has always trusted his assistant coaches to help him answer questions like those above. Reid knows such faith is helpful for his players, which should lead to them being confident in executing the team’s plan during a game’s critical moments.

In Sunday’s road game against the Cincinnati Bengals, a pivotal situation for the Chiefs arose midway through the final drive. With the score tied, the Bengals faced a third-and-27 play from the Chiefs’ 41-yard line with less than four minutes remaining. Reid trusted defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who elected to send a seven-man blitz at Joe Burrow, the Bengals’ star quarterback. The best outcome for Spagnuolo would’ve been a negative play — a sack, a turnover or at least an incompletion, leading the Bengals to decide if they wanted to attempt a 59-yard field goal to win the game. Instead, one of the worst outcomes happened: The Bengals thwarted the Chiefs’ blitz and Burrow connected with star rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase for a 30-yard completion.

The Bengals’ highlight led to their dramatic 34-31 victory. Kicker Evan McPherson made the game-winning, 20-yard field goal as time expired, a result that left the Chiefs dejected.

It was one of the best days in Cincinnati Bengals history, as Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase both set records on the way to a 34-31 upset win over Kansas City that clinched the AFC North title for the Bengals.

Burrow completed 30 of 39 passes for 446 yards and four touchdowns. Burrow now has 34 touchdowns on the season, a mark that broke the Cincinnati single-season record for touchdowns formerly held by Andy Dalton.

Chase did Burrow one better, as he caught 11 passes on 12 targets for 266 yards and three touchdowns. The 266 yards set a team record for receiving yards in a game while also setting an all-time rookie record. Chase became the first rookie since Hall of Famer Randy Moss to post 150+ receiving yards and three touchdowns in a game.

The numbers were even more impressive because they helped Cincinnati overcome a 21-7 second quarter deficit, as Kansas City scored touchdowns on four straight drives in the first half. The Bengals halftime adjustments slowed that pace down tremendously, as the Chiefs managed to score only one field goal on three second half drives.

The Kansas City loss, combined with Tennessee’s win over Miami, puts the Titans into the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Bengals are still in contention for the No. 1 seed as well.

Kansas City (11-5) travels to Denver to face the Broncos in Week 18. Cincinnati (10-6) goes to Cleveland to end the regular season next week.

(Photo: Katie Stratman / USA Today)

It has been a game for the ages for Ja’Marr Chase.

The all-time Bengals great quarterback approves of the Burrow to Chase connection.