The Kansas City Chiefs don’t have a great track record against the Cincinnati Bengals in recent seasons and are looking to exorcise some demons against their newest AFC rivals on Sunday. While the play of quarterback Patrick Mahomes is sure to define the game, the performance of their defense against Joe Burrow may come to be the factor that determines the final outcome.
In comments to the media on Thursday, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo made it clear that getting Burrow to the ground was his top priority in this week’s matchup. Though he didn’t reveal his game plan, he described the challenge that Burrow poses when he drops back to pass.
“When you watch him, he just is – the word I come up with is nifty,” Spagnuolo explained. “He never panics in the pocket. It feels like he’s got like six eyeballs around his head. Seriously. We watched them last night, [Defensive Line Coach] Joe [Cullen] and I were watching him. There’s a rusher coming in, it looks like he’s going to get him, and [Bengals QB] Joe [Burrow] didn’t do very much but he made a move, never lost balance, took a couple steps [and] threw the ball down field.
“Yeah, he’s elite. You’ve got to be more under control is the only thing I could say. We’ve worked on that. And yet, if you try to rush controlled too much you’ll never get there, right? But it’s both ways. We’ve got to cover really good on the back end to give our pass rushers time and then we got to find a way to finish him. Getting more guys there, I mean you want to get as many guys there as you can. It’s hard for one guy.”
The AFC Championship Game has run through Kansas City for the past five seasons, and the Chiefs are seeking to clinch their third Super Bowl berth in four years as they prepare to face the Bengals in this highly anticipated matchup. Burrow has proven to be something of a kryptonite for this Chiefs squad, and a win against Cincinnati on Sunday will only come to fruition if Kansas City’s defense can handle their business in a dominant fashion.
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