The Kansas City Chiefs bounced back on New Year’s Eve after a disappointing loss on Christmas Day. It was a bit of a slow start in some respects. But in the end, the Chiefs used a solid second half to down the Cincinnati Bengals 25-17. With that victory, Kansas City clinched the AFC West division title. By doing so, the Chiefs have won the AFC West for eight straight years. Even though it has not been pretty this season, that accomplishment is very rare in the NFL, especially in the modern era.

This stretch of eight consecutive division titles by the Kansas City Chiefs marks the second-longest streak of consecutive division titles since 1970. Only the New England Patriots had a longer streak of division titles for consecutive seasons. New England had a run of 11 straight AFC East division titles from 2009 to 2019.

What were the most memorable moments from the win over the Bengals on Sunday? Plus, what did the Chiefs show in this game that could benefit them come playoff time? Let’s kick it off.

Defense Stands Tall After Early Mistakes

It was a tough start for the Chiefs defense against the Bengals offense. In all of the first three drives that Cincinnati had, their offense scored points. A field goal was followed by two touchdowns, a receiving score for Joe Mixon and a rushing score for Jake Browning. Kansas City failed to apply much pressure early on. Browning was also able to frustrate the Chiefs and the Arrowhead Stadium crowd when he extended plays outside of the pocket. To boot, Browning displayed excellent touch and ball placement in the early going.

After Browning ran for a touchdown with just over six minutes left in the second quarter, the Bengals were held scoreless for the remainder of the game. The Chiefs defense forced four punts and the Bengals also turned it over on downs twice. Kansas City began to adjust coverages on the backend to take throwing lanes away. Overall, the Chiefs pass rush found some steam and got home more consistently in the second half. The play of the KC defensive line was also noticeable, due to their tenacity and relentlessness to slow down the run game late.

As mentioned by Chiefs Senior Team Reporter Matt McMullen, the Chiefs defense has now allowed 20 points or less in 12 games this season. That is the most in the league in 2023. Along with allowing no points, Kansas City gave up just 80 net yards in the second half. The adjustments after halftime by defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo should not go unnoticed. This defensive play could be monumental for the Chiefs in the postseason.

Chiefs Offense Fueled By Young Weapons

The Kansas City Chiefs offense has seen some veteran players fail to step up in a handful of big moments this season. Travis Kelce has still had some big games. But with how teams have been defending Kansas City, the Chiefs have turned to younger pieces much more often than in past years. On Sunday against Cincinnati, it was a rookie and a second-year player that made the biggest impact for KC offensively.

Rashee Rice has been the team’s best wide receiver for a great while now. And against the Bengals, he came through a few times to give Kansas City a major jolt. His explosive 67-yard catch was the longest completion for the Chiefs this season. And in some other moments, Rice quickly found a soft spot, sat down and accumulated some vital yards after the catch. Rice’s 127 receiving yards on Sunday were roughly three times more than any other Chief this week against the Bengals.

Outside of Rice, it was Isiah Pacheco who fueled the Chiefs offense against Cincinnati. Kansas City’s first score of the day was a touchdown pass to Pacheco on an angle route out of the backfield. He could not have been more open. Outside of his touchdown catch, Pacheco left the Bengals battered and bruised with his rushing efforts. He finished with 130 rushing yards on 18 carries. In the end, that was good enough for a healthy 7.2 yards per carry against the Cincinnati defense.

A Glimpse Of What’s To Come?

If the Chiefs are able to build any momentum and play some consistent football, the formula is pretty clear. Playoff wins this postseason will largely have to come in the style of play that Kansas City displayed against Cincinnati. The defense has limited points and made key stops to end drives throughout much of the season. Some fans have grown to learn that it will likely take a complementary approach on offense. For those still expecting a lot of explosive plays from the Chiefs offense, maybe those will materialize more often in January.

But all in all, the kind of grinding, physical, methodical game that Kansas City found themselves in yesterday is likely the recipe for how they can gain playoff wins this year. The younger pieces on offense will be crucial to the overall production. On the other hand, the defense knows that it may be put in challenging spots, as it has been at times this season. While it is not the prettiest display of Chiefs football, Sunday could be an excellent glimpse of what is necessary to hang in the postseason and realize what weaknesses need to be fixed this offseason.