Bengals eliminated from playoff contention after loss vs. Chiefs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — One year after Kansas City ended Cincinnati's season in a dramatic AFC championship game at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs ended the Bengals' playoff hopes entirely.

The Chiefs piled up eight sacks, including four on the final possession as Jake Browning was trying to rally Cincinnati for a tying field goal, and they held the Bengals without a point over their final seven possessions to win 25-17 on Sunday and clinch the AFC West title.

The Chiefs will be the No. 3 seed in the playoffs.

The Bengals will be sitting it out once next week's game against the playoff-bound Cleveland Browns is done.

It was a bitter finish to a roller-coaster year that included the loss of franchise quarterback Joe Burrow to a season-ending wrist injury, the revelatory play of Browning in his place, three straight wins that catapulted the Bengals back into playoff contention and consecutive losses to the Steelers and Chiefs that ultimately eliminated them.

The Bengals had their chances on a cold, blustery day at Arrowhead Stadium.

They leaped out to a 10-7 lead thanks to a methodical, 15-play drive to open the game that netted them a field goal, and a 75-yard march that ended in Browning's touchdown toss to Joe Mixon. And when Trey Hendrickson stripped Patrick Mahomes to produce a fumble, the Bengals converted the short field into Browning's TD run to take a 17-7 lead.

They wouldn't score again.

The Bengals went three-and-out on their next drive, when Tanner Hudson dropped what would have been a first-down throw, and time ran out in the first half when Harrison Butker hit the first of his six field goals for Kansas City with 35 seconds to go.

It was the Bengals' opening drive of the second half that coach Zac Taylor might rue in the months ahead.

Cincinnati twice converted on third down and drove inside the Kansas City 10, where Taylor was left with a decision on fourth-and-1 at the 6-yard line. Rather than kick a field goal that would have extended the lead to 20-13, Taylor decided to go for it and Mixon was stuffed by Willie Gay for a 3-yard loss.

The Chiefs embarked on a nine-play, 82-yard drive that Butker capped with a chip-shot field goal to get within 17-16.

That became a common theme the rest of the way: The Bengals' drive fizzled, the Chiefs marched downfield and Butker kicked a go-ahead field goal; the Bengals had to punt again, the Chiefs drove the other way and Butker hit a 48-yarder to extend the lead; and when the Bengals went three-and-out, Butker added a 46-yarder with 2:59 left in the game.

The Bengals had one more chance, but the Kansas City defense made one more stop.

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