KC Chiefs Stats and Milestones to Watch vs. Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17
The Kansas City Chiefs aren't in the postseason just yet, but they can punch their tickets with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
In a rematch of last season's AFC Championship Game, Kansas City and Cincinnati have plenty to play for in Week 17. Andy Reid and Zac Taylor's squads are both looking to bounce back from disappointing losses, with the winner of this week's game either finalizing or boosting their chances to extend their season deeper into January.
Within the game, the Chiefs also have some unique opportunities from a statistical standpoint. Let's take a look at five of them for Sunday.
Information courtesy of the Chiefs' official Week 17 game notes.
The West can be won on Sunday afternoon
While Kansas City is the overwhelming favorite to win the AFC West, Reid's team can lock up the division on Sunday. It's a simple win-and-in scenario for the Chiefs, giving them a guaranteed home game in the first round of the playoffs. If the division is won, it will mark the eighth year in a row the Chiefs have done so. Eight breaks a tie with the 1970s Los Angeles Rams for the second-longest streak of division titles in NFL history. There's some work left to do to match the New England Patriots' double-digit streak, but Kansas City can move up the leaderboard in Week 17.
Patrick Mahomes with a chance to set a franchise record
The Chiefs' franchise leaderboard for quarterback-related stats will probably be headlined by only Patrick Mahomes by the time he's finished. He's already making up a ton of ground in a relatively short time, though, and has another chance to do so on Sunday. If Mahomes can throw for 329 yards against the Bengals, he'll be in sole possession of first place in Kansas City history for career passing yards. Moving past Len Dawson is no easy feat, which Mahomes can attest to if he has a stellar Week 17 performance.
Will Travis Kelce extend his own historic streak?
Travis Kelce may not be quite the same player this season, but he's still likely the best tight end in all of football. Additionally, he can extend a streak that only he owns among all tight ends in league history. With 32 receiving yards against Cincinnati, Kelce can record an eighth 1,000-yard season in a row. Not only would that move his tight end-specific record up another rung, but it'd also put him in a tie for the fourth-most such seasons in a row for any pass-catcher ever. Kelce's dominance has an opportunity to continue with a big-time performance this weekend.
Analyzing Isiah Pacheco's sneaky-good start to his career
Isiah Pacheco has missed some time as of late, but that isn't stopping him from maintaining a nice standing entering Week 17. If he can rush for 82 yards on Sunday, he'll move up to third place in Chiefs history for rushing yards in a player's first two seasons. Right now, Abner Haynes holds that spot with 1,716 yards. Pacheco will need to top his season average of 61.9 yards if he wants to climb the ranks, although it's certainly possible against a Bengals defense that ranks 26th in rushing yards allowed and 29th in yards per attempt.
George Karlaftis climbing the Kansas City leaderboards
Speaking of nice starts to a Chiefs career, look no further than George Karlaftis. The 2022 first-round pick has 15 sacks thus far, which is tied for the fifth-most for a Chiefs player in his first two seasons. He needs half a sack to move into sole possession of fifth place and if he logs a full sack, he'll move into third. If Kansas City gets 'Furious George' in Week 17, the franchise will also get a jump of one or two spots from its second-year defensive end.
