The Cincinnati Bengals will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13, and it appears as though the trash-talking stage has already begun.
Usually, Bengals corner Eli Apple or former Chiefs wideout Tyreek Hill would be yapping to reporters the week before a game, but this year, a new face has entered the ring.
Chiefs safety Justin Reid spoke briefly about the upcoming matchup and confidently declared he would "lock down" Tee Higgins. Only....it seems like Reid needs to study his opponents a little better.
In the video below, Reid first confuses Bengals player No. 88, Hayden Hurst, for Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee. He then confuses Tee Higgins for Hayden Hurst and goes on to call Higgins "not the best blocker."
If you're going to talk crap about your opponent, you had better make sure you know which player is which.
Asked #Chiefs safety Justin Reid about what he would've done differently against Cincinnati if he played with KC last year.
— PJ Green (@PJGreenTV) November 30, 2022
His words show just how motivated the team is about beating the #Bengals.
His words about Tee Higgins: "I'm gonna lock him down." pic.twitter.com/9W5Khndh1J
Chiefs' Justin Reid tries to trash-talk Bengals but fails miserably
Reid probably won't be facing Higgins considering that safeties usually go up against the tight ends so it makes sense that Hurst is the one he "slighted" here.
If Reid did want to cover Tee Higgins, though he may have a harder time containing the star wideout than he thinks. Higgins has exploded in Ja'Marr Chase's absence this season, commanding 30 targets in the last three games and turning into Burrow's go-to guy to drive the ball down the field.
He's scored just one touchdown in that three-game span but has posted 322 receiving yards, and he serves as arguably the team's most dangerous pass-catching weapon at the moment. Ja'Marr Chase could return in time for Sunday's matchup, giving Joe Burrow his favorite wideout back, and Chase himself had a little something to say about Reid's mix-up.
The taunting should nonetheless provide extra motivation for both sides to bring their A game in Week 13.
Stay tuned to see if Eli Apple chimes in with his own two cents before Sunday comes around.