Cincinnati Bengals Recap and Takeaways Following Heartbreaking 26-25 Loss to Kansas City Chiefs

The Bengals are 0-2 after the loss.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) attempts to hold back wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) as he continues to shout at a referee in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 2 game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. The Chiefs took a 26-25 win with a go-ahead field goal as time expired. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Bengals lost to the Chiefs in a 26-25 thriller on Sunday. Here's a recap and some initial takeaways from Cincinnati's second loss of the season:

First Quarter

The Bengals got their tight end room involved early. Whether it was veteran Drew Sample, free agent addition Mike Gesicki, or rookie Erick All Jr., the Bengals used play action to effectively create open looks and easy throws for Joe Burrow. However, the offense sputtered in the red zone, and the Bengals could only come away with a field goal on their first drive. A false start from Trent Brown to start their second offensive possession had the Bengals playing from behind early on. Though they got a nice chunk run from Zack Moss, an incomplete pass and a short scramble forced the Bengals to punt. An Akeem Davis-Gather interception gave the Bengals great field position to start their third drive of the day.

The first quarter was impressive for a Bengals team after a rough Week 1 performance. Though it felt like Chris Jones was making a point to go after Cordell Volson early, he had limited success. Drue Tranquill seemed to be in on every play early in the first quarter, whether pressuring Joe Burrow or being an impact player in the run game. However, the Bengals seemed to lean into their play-action game to stay on schedule and get on the board in the first quarter. Their red zone struggles kept the game close, though.

Second Quarter

The Bengals came out with a run-heavy approach to start their third possession. Chase Brown and Zack Moss both got chunk gains leading up to the first third-down conversion of the day. This conversion came in the form of a touchdown pass to Andrei Iosivas, who made an impressive, toe-tapping catch in the front corner of the end zone.

After an explosive Rashee Rice touchdown, the Bengals started their longest drive of the half. After an explosive catch from All and a pass interference call in the Bengals' favor, their red zone woes pop back up in the form of two incomplete passes and a sack (George Karlaftis beat Trent Brown). The Chiefs once again held the Bengals' offense to a field goal. However, a fumble from Chiefs' rookie Carson Steele gets the Bengals another possession with under three minutes remaining in the half and a chance to extend their three-point lead. Burrow continued to target his tight ends as they struggled to work their way down the field, and an offensive pass interference penalty called on Trenton Irwin set them up to come away with three more points thanks to a 48-yard field goal from Evan McPherson.

The increased tight end usage (and its effectiveness) seen in the first half is promising for the long-term success of this Bengals offense. With Tee Higgins missing the first two games of the season, it was easy to wonder if the Bengals could still maximize Burrow's talent when teams can focus on shutting down Ja'Marr Chase. That hadn't seemed to be an issue through two quarters against the two-time reigning champs. While the explosive plays might not be there, this Bengals offense can still move the ball through the air and beat teams in the run game. However, continued struggles in the red zone will wear on this team throughout the rest of this game and the rest of the season if they aren't solved. Gesicki and the Bengals' run game was the story of the first half for the offense, while their defense was able to generate good turnovers to give the offense a chance. Overall, the Bengals looked dominant in the first half and seemed in control of the game as they entered the locker room.

Third Quarter

The Chiefs came out of the half and put together the longest drive of the game, featuring a fourth down conversion, which was capped off by a touchdown pass to backup offensive tackle Wanya Morris.

The Bengals answered with a significant drive of their own (their longest of the day). Their first play of the half was a deep ball to rookie Jermaine Burton that totaled 47 yards. After two third-down conversions by way of Burrow's scrambling ability and an impressive Zack Moss run to get the Bengals inside the Chiefs' five yard line, it felt like Cincinnati was going to stall in the red zone again.

Zac Taylor decided to go for it on fourth and goal, leading to Andrei Iosivas's second touchdown and the Bengals took a 22-17 lead. Though the D.J. Turner interception was overturned due to an illegal contact penalty against rookie Daijahn Anthony, Cam Taylor-Britt got the ball back for the Bengals with one of the most impressive interceptions I have ever seen.

It is always exciting to see the Bengals getting their rookies involved, and though All had been a significant contributor through three quarters, Burton came down with the most explosive play of the game. The run game was still a consistent factor throughout the beginning of the second half, and Iosivas seemed to be filling the Tee Higgins role well with two red zone touchdowns. Their defense was able to get the ball back and gave their offense advantageous field position repeatedly throughout the game. This Bengals team looks like a serious competitor through three quarters against the reigning champs and seems to have them on the ropes going into the final quarter of one of the most exciting rivalries in the NFL.

Fourth Quarter

The Bengals' first drive of the fourth quarter came to a quick end after two incompletions (one being a drop from Gesicki and the other a thrown-away screen). Then, Burrow scrambled on third down after Chris Jones got past Cordell Volson. Burrow fumbled and Chamarri Conner scooped up the ball and took it nearly 40 yards for a touchdown. After a failed two-point conversion, the Chiefs were up 23-22.

The running backs got the offense moving on their next possession, and the Bengals were even able to dig themselves out of a first and long (Orlando Brown Jr. was called for holding), though a personal foul called on Ja'Marr Chase finally backed the Bengals' offense into a 3rd-and-long. Gesicki gained 10 yards on the down, but the Bengals still settled for an impressive 53-yard field goal. After a defensive battle, the Chiefs punted it back to the Bengals with just under seven minutes remaining in the contest. The Bengals looked poised to put the game away as they drove down the field again on the backs of their solid run game (most notably an explosive 12-yard surge from Chase Brown) and their tight ends. However, a drop from Iosivas and a sack led the Bengals to hand the ball back to the Chiefs just outside their red zone. Trey Hendrickson was able to top off an impressive showing by drawing an illegal hands to the face penalty, which put the Chiefs into a fourth and long situation inside their 40-yard line. However, after a deep shot to Rashee Rice resulted in a pass interference penalty called on rookie Daijahn Anthony, the Chiefs had set themselves up for another game-winning field goal against the Bengals. Harrison Butker drilled the 51-yarder right down the middle to win the game.

Bottom Line

A penalty-riddled fourth quarter was too much to overcome for what seemed to be a dominant Bengals team. They had 54 yards of penalties in one quarter and a strip sack ruined two of their three fourth-quarter possessions. Though the run game looked impressive, and they had the lead and the ball (thanks to Cam Taylor-Britt), they couldn't stay on the field, drain enough clock, or score enough points to come away with the win.

If the Bengals hope to replicate their past successes, they are going to have to clean up the mental errors that crippled them in Kansas City. They were able to showcase a more balanced offense than I can remember in the Burrow era. Their defense did more than enough to secure a victory by taking multiple possessions away from Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' offensive unit. Though it was a heartbreaking loss, the Bengals showed fans what they can do on both sides of the ball even without a key player like Higgins and with a limited interior defensive line unit.

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