Cincinnati Bengals beat Kansas City Chiefs 36-21
By Connor Howe
Oct 4, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga (58) reacts during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs
in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Cincinnati took care of the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, scoring five touchdowns in a 36-21 home victory. The Bengals played above-average football across the board–to the point that there wasn’t even a player who stood out enough to be a strong frontrunner for our Weekly MVP award.
In the first quarter, the Bengals jumped out to a quick 14-3 lead at the end of the first quarter behind touchdown runs by each of the team’s two top running backs, Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard.
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Although the Bengals’ running game got off to a slow start, it ended up thrashing through the Chiefs’ defense en route to four touchdowns and 102 yards rushing from the team’s one-two punch at running back. Jeremy Hill scored three of those touchdowns and ran in a two-point conversion after his second touchdown score.
Brandon Tate made an awesome 55-yard touchdown in the third quarter, and with Jeremy Hill’s second touchdown run, the Bengals took a 14-point lead. Cincinnati’s two third-quarter touchdowns and an ensuing two-point conversion gave the Bengals a 29-15 lead at the end of the third. The Bengals scored another touchdown, while the Chiefs kicked two more field goals in the fourth, ending the game with a 36-21 score.
Oct 4, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) looks to pass in the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Andy Dalton may be a changed man; he threw for 321 yards and a touchdown on 17 completed passes, posting a 70.8 percent completion rate. It’s been four games, and Dalton has yet to post a stinker. Is it time for the “Dalton is mediocre” narrative to be considered a thing of the past? Surely people are smart enough to realize that he is better than he’s been in past seasons, right?
A.J. Green once again reminded us that he’s one of the NFL’s best wide receivers, catching seven passes for 82 yards. Mohamed Sanu also came up big, grabbing four passes and gaining a team-high 84 yards. Tyler Eifert added three catches for 69 yards.
The Chiefs didn’t seem to know how to find the end zone on Sunday; Cairo Santos kicked a Chiefs franchise record seven field goals, but the Chiefs didn’t score a single touchdown on Cincinnati’s defense.
The Bengals now have a two-game lead in the AFC North. Cincinnati has a 4-0 record for the first time since 2005, while Pittsburgh trails with a 2-2 record, Cleveland sits at 1-2 and Baltimore is 1-3. The Bengals have a significant advantage, with second-place Pittsburgh coming off a tough loss in Baltimore and waiting for its starting quarterback to return from injury.
This Bengals team looks dangerous, and they look like the AFC’s strongest team outside of the New England Patriots. Up next is a home game against the Seattle Seahawks next Sunday.