Sunday's clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals proved to be just as thrilling as always between the two familiar foes. In a game that mimicked the tension and emotion of a playoff atmosphere, the Chiefs ultimately prevailed with a last-second field goal, securing a 26-25 win over their AFC rivals.

The Bengals opened the game with promise as they set the tone early with a statement drive that saw Joe Burrow connect with tight end Mike Gesicki on an explosive 37-yard reception. Now quickly in the redzone and threatening to score, the Chiefs rallied behind key quarterback pressures forcing Burrow to throw the ball away and settle for a field goal attempt. The 22-yard attempt was nailed by the reliable Evan McPherson who had yet to miss a field goal against the Chiefs in his career making 12 consecutive conversions.

Kansas City responded with an impressive opening drive of their own, with running back Isiah Pacheco and wide receiver Rashee Rice both having solid runs. Cincinnati’s secondary would hold strong however stopping a checkdown pass to Pacheco short of the end zone. Harrison Butker answered with a 19-yard field goal tying the game at 3-3.

Kansas City’s defensive line again would step up and put too much pressure on Burrow snuffing out Cincinnati’s response with a three and out. This newfound Chiefs momentum would be short lived however as the games first major defensive play came when Bengals linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither intercepted a risky pass by Patrick Mahomes intended for Travis Kelce. This turnover gave Cincinnati a chance to seize momentum, and they capitalized early in the second quarter.

 Burrow wasted no time following the interception, finding wide receiver Andrei Iosivas in the endzone for a 4-yard touchdown to take a 10-3 lead. McPherson added the extra point to keep this perfect streak intact.

 Kansas City and their quick-strike offense didn’t stay quiet for long. Mahomes connected with a with Rashee Rice on a 44-yard bomb that saw the young receiver torch Bengals rising-star cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt to tie the game 10-10 after a Butker extra point.

 The Bengals’ next drive showcased Burrow spreading the ball efficiently, hitting tight ends Drew Sample and rookie Erik All Jr., along with star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Despite the success moving the ball, the Bengals continued to struggle in the red zone, and the offensive line failed to protect their QB. McPherson was called upon to deliver a 33-yard field goal, giving Cincinnati a 13-10 lead.

The Bengals defense came up big once more on the following drive, with linebacker Germain Pratt forcing a fumble from Chiefs running back Carson Steele. Burrow drove the offense downfield but the drive was halted by an offensive pass interference call on receiver Trenton Irwin. McPherson continued his perfect day, nailing a 48-yard field goal to extend the Bengals’ lead to 16-10.

With just a little over a minute to work with in the half Mahomes and company would threaten with a big 35-yard catch to Kelce but Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson ended the drive with a timely sack that sent both teams into the locker room with Cincinnati ahead.

Coming out of halftime, Kansas City made a concerted effort to get the ball to Pacheco, whose electrifying runs and playmaking ability led the chiefs deep into Bengals territory. With a chance to take the lead, Andy Reid’s offense dialed up a play-action to backup left tackle Wanya Morris, who caught a 1-yard touchdown making the score 17-16 after another Butker extra point.

Cincinnati responded with Burrow once again showing his ability to make big plays, hitting rookie receiver Jermaine Burton for a 47-yard deep shot to set up another red zone opportunity. Burrow went back to Gesicki and running back Zach Moss to move the ball to the 3-yard line, where he found Iosivas for his second touchdown of the day. Celebrations were soured with a missed extra point from Evan McPherson who had previously been flawless on the day leaving the score 22-17.

 The fourth quarter opened with a game-changing play when Taylor-Britt redeemed himself after his earlier misstep. Mahomes attempted another deep shot to Rice, but Taylor-Britt made a stunning one-handed interception, drawing comparisons to Odell Beckham Jr.’s iconic 2016 catch. This set up Cincinnati with a chance to extend their five-point lead at the top of the 4th quarter, Kansas City needed a big play and found it in their relentless defensive line that had Burrow running all day.

 Wharton and Danna combined to sack Burrow and force a critical fumble, which was scooped up and scored by defensive back Chamarri Conner and returned for a touchdown. The Chiefs surged ahead 23-22 after a failed two-point conversion attempt.

The Bengals would respond with a methodical drive consisting of alternating quick passes to Gesicki and the uncharacteristically quiet Chase who let the frustration get the better of him costing his team 15 yards on an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that stopped the momentum of the drive. A checkdown to Gesicki would put them back into field gold range though, and McPherson would redeem himself with a 53-yard-long conversion which put the Bengals back up 25-23 with just over three minutes remaining.

Kansas City’s ensuing drive saw a negated first down strike from Mahomes to Kelce by a holding penalty on tackle Kingsley Suamataia, and the Bengals forced the Chiefs to punt, giving the Cincy offense a chance to ice the game. Kansas City’s, Chamarri Conner, came up big again sacking Burrow on third down to give the defending champs one last chance with two minutes left.

 In a familiar scene, Mahomes orchestrated a clinical two-minute drill. With elite composure and on a make-or-break 4th down, he stepped up and completed a 21-yard pass to Rice. This was however negated by a critical, illegal hands to the face penalty on tackle, Wanya Morris. With just 48 seconds remaining, Bengals safety, Daijahn Anthony, would commit a heartbreaking defensive pass interference penalty on 4th-and-16, setting up Kansas City in field goal range. After running the clock down to the final 3 seconds of the game the even keeled Butker nailed the 51-yard dagger to win the game 26-25, Kansas City.

Next week the Bengals will look to pick up their first win of the season at home against the Washington Commanders, whereas Kansas City has a chance to extend their undefeated season on the road against the Atlanta Falcons.