Bengals Should Be Leary of the Chiefs Trap

Nov 11, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) lays on the field after being tackled by the Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Wallace Gilberry during the second half at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals defeated the Giants 31-13. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-US PRESSWIRE

The Bengals finally had a blow out game on Sunday. It didn’t come against just any team, either. It was against a team with a winning record. Last week marked the first time in the 2012 campaign that Cincinnati had defeated a team with a positive win-loss ratio. It is no wonder the confidence for the Bengals and their fans has grown by leaps and bounds since the team’s clobbering of the Giants.

However, even with the momentum from the win, Bengals fans and players must remember where they have come from so that the favorable match up this week against the 1-8 Chiefs doesn’t have an unfavorable ending for Cincinnati. Fans and players must remember that the Bengals account for Cleveland’s first win of the season and Miami’s second win of the season in week 5. Cincinnati is a team that has lost to four teams with losing records that they had the ability to hand another loss to, but failed. The Bengals cannot forget the journey they have been on this season and must play just as hard as they did against the Giants when they face Kansas City on Sunday.

Kansas City isn’t just a one win team, either. Much like the Dolphins when the team traveled to Cincinnati in week 5, the Chiefs are better than their record shows on paper. This is a team that held strong against a Steelers team that has found their stride, taking the game into overtime and only losing because of turnovers by their quarterback. In week five, Kansas City also matched up well against the Ravens, only losing by three points to a team that walked all over Cincinnati in week one.

The Bengals must remain cognizant of the game with the Chiefs and not look forward to the rest of the season, even with Kansas City’s record. The teams are more evenly matched than one would think. At home Kansas City is 0-4 this season, but the Bengals are only a mere 2-2 on the road. In yardage, both teams are averaging about the same per game with Cincinnati averaging three yards less than KC at 347. Kansas City’s defense also has allowed 16 less yards on average per game than Cincinnati with 337. In fact, the Chief’s defense is ranked 11th in the NFL. The Bengals defense is ranked 19th. KC even ranks higher than the Bengals in offense at 18th, with the Cincinnati offense ranked 20th overall. The only area where the Bengals excel is on the scoreboard, coming up with 220 points so far this season. The Chiefs have 146 total points.

The only thing that separates these two teams is a record. If Cincinnati remains focused and plays tough as a team, they should be able to earn their second consecutive win on Sunday. A win in Kansas City would mean more than a .500 record; it would mean a real shot at opening a playoff door for back to back seasons for the Bengals. It would mean hope restored in Cincinnati.