Bengals Lose to Chiefs, Start Season 0-2 Again

Joe Burrow, Zac Taylor and the Cincinnati Bengals have once again sputtered out of the gate.

The Bengals fell just short to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, losing 26-25 on a 51-yard game-winning field goal by Harrison Butker as time expired.

Cincinnati has now started each of the past three seasons 0-2, a trend that has haunted the team since Taylor became head coach in 2019. This marks the fourth time in Taylor’s five seasons that the Bengals have dropped each of their first two games.

In the first two games of the Taylor is now 1-11 SU. Burrow, who the Bengals drafted No. 1 overall in 2020, moves to 1-9 SU in the first two games of the season.

Cincy closed as a 6.5-point underdog but had several chances to pull off the upset. However, unforced errors cost the Bengals a shot at victory.

While ahead by five points early in the fourth quarter, Burrow — who went 23-for-36 with 258 yards (clinching his over 236.5 pass yards prop) and two touchdowns — coughed up the football and safety Chamarri Conner returned it for a touchdown.

The Bengals retook the lead on the ensuing drive and held a two-point advantage heading into the final minutes of the game. The Chiefs faced fourth-and-16 with 48 seconds left when Mahomes sailed a pass over the head of Rashee Rice. However, a 29-yard defensive pass inference penalty against rookie Daijahn Anthony gave Kansas City a first down, setting up Butker’s game-winner.

The Chiefs have now won each of the past three meetings with the Bengals after losing three straight. The two teams have met twice in the AFC Championship Game in the past three seasons.