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Week 13 Is a Measuring Stick Game for the Chiefs

How different will an AFC Championship Game rematch look, and what adjustments can KC make?

This week, the Kansas City Chiefs are on the road to face off against the 7-4 Cincinnati Bengals. It is a rare time when the game may mean more to the Chiefs than their opponent. The Bengals beat the Chiefs twice last year, including in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium. Those two matchups left a sour taste in Kansas City's mouth, and Sunday's game will determine how much the Chiefs have learned from and adjusted to what happened last year.

From a team perspective, the Chiefs outscored the Bengals 49-27 in the first halves of last season's matchups. However, they were outscored 34-6 in the second halves and one overtime period. Therefore, the coaching staff has to be ready for Cincinnati to adjust at halftime. Even if Kansas City is having success in the first half doing certain things, the team should be prepared for what's coming because the final 30-plus minutes killed them in both of the 2021-22 meetings.

Jan 30, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) drops back in the pocket against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first quarter of the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

One of those adjustments was the Bengals' defense dropping eight men into coverage, especially in the AFC Championship Game. They would only rush three and have one defender spy Patrick Mahomes while manning the middle of the field. This strategy threw off the Chiefs and contributed to them only scoring three points in the final 30 minutes. Instead of running the ball into the light box Cincinnati was giving them, the Chiefs tried to keep throwing into coverage.

How do the Chiefs respond to that coverage if they see it again on Sunday? With Isiah Pacheco coming on strong these last few weeks, they can continue to ride with him. He has shown the ability to break tackles and cover ground quickly, so he should be able to feast on the ground if the Bengals sell out to stop the pass.

If Kansas City wants to attack through the air, they are better built to beat this specific game plan now than last year. They struggled last season with drop-eight coverage because the Bengals could double Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill due to no one else on the Chiefs getting open consistently. The Chiefs may not have Hill this year, but their receiver room is deeper. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore and possibly Kadarius Toney should give the defense problems if they decide to leave them in one-on-one coverage.

Flipping over to the defensive side of the ball for the Chiefs, they need to figure out how to slow down the Bengals' offense. It starts with pressuring Joe Burrow. The Chiefs got just one sack in the AFC Championship Game. The Tennessee Titans, who Cincinnati played the week before, and the LA Rams, who they played in the Super Bowl, both sacked Burrow over five times with ease. It's not like the Chiefs didn't have opportunities, either. They let sacks slip through their hands, which turned into positive plays for Cincinnati. This time around, the Chiefs cannot let that happen and instead need to finish those plays.

Jan 30, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) passes the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs during the third quarter of the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

The other adjustment the Chiefs will need to make is limiting deep shots down the sideline. The Bengals have no shortage of weapons on the outside. Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd each have had a 1,000-yard season in their career and are still in their primes. They also make up the best group of three wide receivers in the NFL. Cincinnati loves to use them deep in the passing game, especially down the sideline. They will throw "50/50" balls and back-shoulder passes to let them make a play. When those passes connect, that's when the Bengals' offense is most dangerous.

The Chiefs left their cornerbacks on islands last year, especially in crucial spots, which hurt them. What is Steve Spagnuolo's game plan for this season? L'Jarius Sneed could kick outside as he did in the LA Chargers game to guard Mike Williams. It also comes down to how the rookie cornerbacks will hold up. Trent McDuffie has been excellent this year but hasn't been tested much with these plays. Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson are better suited physically to cover the bigger receivers, however, they need to be cleaner in coverage and are still developing. Either way, the Chiefs will likely have to provide safety help over the top.

This game is more than getting revenge for last year. It is a measuring stick to see if the Chiefs have made the proper adjustments and have their personnel decisions help them win this matchup. Kansas City may be the best team in the NFL, but the Bengals are technically the current kings of the AFC because of what happened last year. This is an opportunity for the Chiefs to show that last year was a one-off and once again prove why they have been the top dog since Mahomes became the starter in 2018.