Chiefs-Bengals players to watch and how the last two years have heated up this series

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Until last season, the Chiefs and Bengals hadn’t played twice in one season since their AFL days. Memorable games from their series through the years were not easily recalled.

Sunday’s AFC Championship Game meeting at GEHA Field at Arrowhead marks the second straight year the Bengals and Chiefs have played each other twice. And with Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow playing quarterback for their respective teams, prospects seem great for memorable future meetings.

Before 2021, what do we have?

In 1988, the Bengals were 8-2 and Super Bowl-bound and the Chiefs were going nowhere at 1-8-1 when Kansas City pulled a 31-28 upset at Arrowhead.

There was 2003, when Cincinnati ended the 9-0 Chiefs’ perfect season with a 24-19 victory as Rudi Johnson rushed for 165 yards.

The Chiefs had their own ground-game hero to conclude the 2005 season. Larry Johnson rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns and Trent Green passed for 349 in a 37-3 Chiefs victory.

But Green’s next game, also against the Bengals to open the 2006 campaign, was a blur. A brutal hit by Cincinnati’s Robert Geathers left Green unconscious and delayed the game for 11 minutes. Green departed the field on a stretcher.

Then there was a 2015 game in Cincinnati that was especially notable for one Chiefs player. Kicker Cairo Santos booted a team-record seven field goals, scoring all of the Chiefs’ points in a 36-21 Bengals victory.

But nothing compared to 2021 and 2022, which produced dramatic high-stakes contests.

Add Sunday’s game to the list. Here are some players besides Mahomes and Burrow who could make a difference:

Chiefs tight end Noah Gray

Gray hasn’t caught more than three passes in a game this season, but his presence might loom large if the Bengals blanket Travis Kelce in multiple-tight end packages. Among Chiefs players with at least 15 receptions this season, Gray has the highest catch rate, hauling in 82.4% of the passes thrown to him.

Chiefs defensive end George Karalftis

Karlaftis has recorded a sack or half-sack in six of the past seven games, and that includes bringing down Burrow in the Week 13 matchup. The pass rush getting home, whether it’s Chris Jones, “Playoffs” Frank Clark, or any other defender, is critical to the Chiefs’ chances of success.

Chiefs return specialist Kadarius Toney

The Chiefs’ return game hasn’t been great this season, ranking 26th in punt-return average and 29th in kickoff-return average during the regular season. Toney assumed punt-return duties in Week 10 and has the ability to pop a long one. His season best is 22 yards. A long return Sunday would be a bonus for the Chiefs.

Bengals running back Samaje Perine

Perine has one 100-yard rushing game in his 3 1/2 years with the Bengals, and it came against the Chiefs earlier this season. Perine and Joe Mixon, former Oklahoma Sooners teammates, also do damage as receivers. They combined for 98 receptions and six touchdowns this season.

Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton

In addition to his superb play lately — a sack in the AFC Wild Card game against the Ravens and six tackles last week against the Bills — Hilton has already affected the AFC title game. He’s the one who coined the term “Burrowhead,” a nod to Burrow’s success at the Chiefs’ stadium, where Cincinnati won last season’s title game.

Bengals kicker Evan McPherson

The Chiefs got caught up in McPherson’s perfect 2022 postseason. He made all 14 of his field-goal attempts and all six of his extra-point tries. McPherson has already missed a kick in this year’s playoffs (a PAT against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card game), but he’s never flubbed a postseason field-goal attempt (17 for 17).