Harrison Butker booted six field goals while Isiah Pacheco and Rashee Rice each gained over 100 yards from scrimmage as the Kansas City Chiefs clinched the AFC West with a 25-17 victory over the visiting Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Patrick Mahomes finished 21-of-29 passing for 245 yards and a touchdown for the Chiefs (10-6), who clinched their eighth straight division title.
Jake Browning completed 19 of 33 passes for 197 yards. He threw for a TD and rushed for another for the Bengals (8-8), who were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss.
Mahomes connected with Rice for a gain of 67 yards late in the third quarter to set up Butker’s go-ahead 24-yard field goal, which made it 19-17 with 14:09 left in the game. Rice finished with five catches for 127 yards.
Pacheco totaled 130 yards on 18 carries and had seven receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown.
After Cincinnati went up 3-0 thanks to a 15-play drive, Kansas City marched down the field with little resistance, scoring on an 8-yard pass from Mahomes to Pacheco for a 7-3 lead with 2:58 remaining in the first quarter.
Browning then heated up, finding Joe Mixon for a 7-yard score and then rushing for a 1-yard TD to give the Bengals a 17-7 lead. Butker kicked a pair of field goals in the final 3:44 of the first half as the Chiefs pulled within 17-13 by the break.
Cincinnati was exceptional on third down in the first half, converting 7 of 9 chances.
The Bengals lost wide receiver Tee Higgins in the first quarter due to a hamstring injury, but he returned to action on the first drive of the second half.
Kansas City made a crucial defensive stop when the Bengals decided not to kick a field goal for a seven-point lead and instead handed the ball off to Mixon on fourth-and-1 at the Chiefs 6 with 7:43 left in the third quarter. Mixon lost 3 yards on the play.
Kansas City answered with a nine-play, 82-yard drive that ended with a 27-yard field goal from Butker that trimmed the Chiefs’ deficit to 17-16.
–Field Level Media
