The Kansas City Chiefs are the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, and they've won the big game in three out of the last five years. But, according to Cincinnati wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, it's the Bengals who are the team to beat in the AFC, not the Chiefs.
Ja'Marr Chase dubs Bengals 'team to beat' in AFC
"Everybody knows that, bro," Chase said about the Bengals. "It's not 'if.' We are the team to beat in the AFC. And we know it. And we gotta play like it, too."
That's a very bold claim to make, especially considering how poorly the Bengals played in the first game of the season. Despite being favored and playing at home, the Bengals dropped their season opener 16-10 to the New England Patriots. It was an underwhelming effort on both sides of the ball for the Bengals, but it apparently did little to sap Chase's optimism when it comes to the team.
It's fair to wonder if it's wise the give the defending champs any additional bulletin board material, but the Bengals don't seem to be too worried about that. Cincinnati safety Cam Taylor-Britt just took a shot at Chiefs rookie receiver Xavier Worthy, and Joe Burrow talked some trash about the Chiefs over the offseason.
Technically, if any team should feel good about its chances against Kansas City, it should be the Bengals, since Burrow has a 3-1 career record against the Chiefs. But, Burrow lost his last game against Kansas City (the 2022 AFC Championship game), and the Chiefs also beat the Bengals last season, although Burrow was sidelined for that game after suffering a season-ending wrist injury.
The Bengals can't afford to rest on their laurels against Kansas City. They'll need to play much better than they did against New England if they want to walk away with a win and avoid a third consecutive 0-2 start.
Perhaps Chase should have waited until after the game against the Chiefs to fire off his bold claim, but we'll see how it turns out.