The 2024 NFL schedule set up a challenging start to the year for the Kansas City Chiefs. Shortly after a demanding season opener against Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens, Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are already preparing to play Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals in the second week of the campaign.
The Chiefs will host the Bengals at Arrowhead on Sunday, September 15, in a game that sees the defending Super Bowl champions as clear favorites following the Cincinnati’s shocking loss to the New England Patriots in Week 1.
However, the Chiefs quarterback has already warned his teammates to expect a difficult game. Speaking to Audacy’s 96.5 The Fan, Mahomes made it clear that Joe Burrow and the Bengals will demand the Chiefs to bring their A-game.
Unsurprisingly, Reid echoed Mahomes‘ sentiments about the Bengals when talking to reporters on Wednesday (via Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports): “We know they’re going to come in here and be ready to go. . . Every time we play each other it’s a heck of a football game.”
Mahomes, Reid know Burrow’s Bengals could be a threat to Chiefs
Mahomes addressed the media shortly after Reid was on the podium, and he insisted on how telling the upcoming matchup will be. Even if the Bengals come from an unexpected loss, the Chiefs quarterback knows Burrow and company can put them in a tough spot.
“There’s definitely a rise in intensity against other contenders,” Mahomes said. “Usually the NFL saves it for later in the season when seeding matters. Our schedule is very different this year. . . It’s a great test for us. It’s going to be about how we adjust and respond when adversity hits.”
The last time Mahomes, Chiefs played the Bengals with Burrow at QB
The last time the Chiefs played the Bengals, Mahomes got to redeem himself against an opponent that had beaten him in all their previous meetings. Until the 2023 AFC Championship Game, Burrow was 3-0 against the 2017 first-round pick.
The Bengals star led his franchise to some hard-fought wins against Kansas City until then, including a special victory in the 2022 AFC Championship Game to reach Super Bowl LVI.
Burrow was out with a wrist injury when Mahomes led the Chiefs to a 25-17 win against the Bengals in Week 17 of the 2023 NFL season on December 31, 2023. That day, Cincinnati had Jake Browning under center. With Burrow back, will the Bengals gain the upper hand this time?