The Kansas City Chiefs secured a 25-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on New Year’s Eve, marking the end of the Bengals’ playoff hopes. This victory also clinched the Chiefs’ eighth consecutive AFC West title and positioned them as the No. 3 seed in the playoffs.
Kansas City’s defense played a crucial role in the win, applying relentless pressure on Bengals quarterback Jake Browning. The Chiefs recorded four sacks on the final possession as Browning attempted to rally the Bengals for a tying score. The Chiefs held the Bengals without a point over their final seven possessions, securing the crucial victory.
Despite the Bengals’ early lead of 17-7, they were unable to score again in the game. The Chiefs capitalized on defensive stops and mounted successful drives, with kicker Harrison Butker contributing six field goals. The pivotal moment came when the Bengals, facing a decision on fourth-and-1 at the 6-yard line, opted to go for it instead of kicking a field goal. However, the Chiefs’ defense, led by Willie Gay’s stop on Joe Mixon, resulted in a turnover on downs.
The Chiefs proceeded to score on their ensuing drives, taking the lead and maintaining it until the end of the game. The Bengals had one final chance to mount a comeback, but the Kansas City defense held strong to secure the victory.
For the Bengals, it was a bitter end to a roller-coaster year that included the loss of franchise quarterback Joe Burrow to a season-ending wrist injury. The team experienced highs and lows throughout the season but ultimately fell short of the playoff contention they had hoped for.
Despite the disappointment, Bengals coach Zac Taylor expressed pride in his team’s resilience and emphasized that the season is not over. The Bengals will play their final regular-season game against the playoff-bound Cleveland Browns.
The Chiefs, as the No. 3 seed, will enter the playoffs with momentum, aiming for a deep postseason run.
Other scores from Week #17:
Thursday, 12/28/23:
Cleveland Browns 37, New York Jets 20
Saturday, 12/30/23:
Dallas Cowboys 20, Detroit Lions 19
Sunday, 12/31/23:
Baltimore Ravens 56, Miami Dolphins 19
Buffalo Bills 27, New England Patriots 21
Chicago Bears 37, Atlanta Falcons 17
Houston Texans 26, Tennessee Titans 3
Indianapolis Colts 23, Las Vegas Raiders 20
Jacksonville Jaguars 26, Carolina Panthers 0
Los Angeles Rams 26, New York Giants 25
Arizona Cardinals 35, Philadelphia Eagles 31
New Orleans Saints 23, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13
San Francisco 49ers 27, Washington Commanders 10
Pittsburgh Steelers 30, Seattle Seahawks 23
Denver Broncos 16, Los Angeles Chargers 9
Kansas City Chiefs 25, Cincinnati Bengals 17
Green Bay Packers 33, Minnesota Vikings 10
The NFL announced the full Week 18 schedule for Saturday, Jan. 6, and Sunday, Jan. 7, marking the conclusion of the regular season. The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins will face off in a crucial matchup on Sunday Night Football, determining the winner of the AFC East.
Here is the complete Week 18 schedule: (All times EST)
Saturday, Jan. 6:
- Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN/ABC)
- Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN/ABC)
Sunday, Jan. 7:
- Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. (CBS)
- Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. (CBS)
- Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. (CBS)
- Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. (FOX)
- New York Jets at New England Patriots, 1 p.m. (FOX)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. (FOX)
- Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
- Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
- Denver Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
- Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
- Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
- Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
- Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
- Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
The AFC East title will be on the line as the Bills and Dolphins face off in the primetime Sunday Night Football matchup. The schedule is set to wrap up the regular season with several key matchups impacting playoff seeding and division titles.
