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The Kansas City Chiefs will host the AFC championship game at Arrowhead Stadium for the fifth-straight year after the Cincinnati Bengals knocked off the Buffalo Bills on January 22.
That sets up the rematch fans have been dreaming about — Chiefs vs. Bengals — a repeat of last year’s AFC title game. The only problem? MVP favorite Patrick Mahomes II has a high-ankle sprain that could limit him during the crucial grudge match.
In the eyes of former head coach Rex Ryan, that’s a massive cause for concern. “It worked against Jacksonville, [but] here’s what I know,” Ryan told his fellow panelists on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” a day after Mahomes was injured. “If I’m Kansas City, I’m really worried. Why? Both of these teams already beat ya. The Bengals and the Bills, they both beat ya. By the way, you had a healthy quarterback [when they beat you].”
He added ominously: “I’m telling you right now, I’m not feeling good about the Kansas City Chiefs [in the AFC championship game].”
ESPN Panel Breaks Down Patrick Mahomes’ Injury
After Ryan, who was a coach for eight years in the league, issued that warning to Chiefs Kingdom, the rest of the panel debated whether or not Mahomes can get the job done with this ankle injury.
Hall of Fame WR Randy Moss was the most adamant that Mahomes could. “If you look at the plays — how they designed [them], how the offense had to adapt to his ankle injury — [they] shortened the throws,” he said. “Am I worried about the Kansas City Chiefs moving forward with the ankle injury by Mahomes? No. If it was a shoulder, yes. Ankle, no.”
Former Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck appeared to side with Ryan, although he wasn’t quite as willing to count out Mahomes and the Chiefs.
“Schematically for a quarterback with a bad right ankle,” Hasselbeck said, “when you go runs to the left from under center, you now have to plant on your right foot and basically run a naked bootleg — get that backside [defender] to be honoring that. Last night, he could not do that, like he literally was on one and a half legs. So, runs to the left under center, those might have to be out of [shotgun formation]. Runs to the right, he can still be under center. They’re going to have to coach around the injury.”
Super Bowl linebacker Tedy Bruschi had the simplest response of all. “This man is going to be fine,” he stated boldly with a smirk. Witnessing Mahomes’ entire career to this point, it’s hard to disagree with that.
Chiefs vs. Bengals Part 4: AFC Championship Rematch
This storyline writes itself. Over the past year and a half, the Chiefs and Bengals have grown into big-time AFC rivals that seem to share a similar disdain for one another.
Ironically, wide receiver Tyreek Hill was a major part of the origin behind this beef, as well as Cincy cornerback Eli Apple. The pair went at it on social media after the AFC title game last year and Hill even dug up that controversy with the Miami Dolphins in 2022.
Later in the season, safety Justin Reid went rogue ahead of the Chiefs-Bengals regular season matchup, calling out WR Tee Higgins (accidentally), TE Hayden Hurst and eventually WR Ja’Marr Chase. That proved to be unwise, and after a talking to by head coach Andy Reid and a third consecutive loss, Justin Reid appeared to finally get the message.
Expect a more silent but deadly approach from Kansas City this week — with no more bulletin board material for the Bengals. The last we heard from Cincy, cornerback Mike Hilton challenged the Chiefs, telling media members that “they know they gotta play us” again in the playoffs to get to the Super Bowl.
Hilton turned out to be right. Now let’s find out if KC can finally end this recent losing streak once and for all.
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