The Bengals defense stepped up massively in second half vs. Chiefs

The Cincinnati Bengals are your 2021-22 AFC North division champions following their 34-31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Most of the talk is going to be about Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and the Bengals’ offense, and they deserve it.

However, we have to give a ton of credit to the Bengals’ defense for their second-half performance.

The first half was not pretty for the defense as the Chiefs did almost anything they wanted.

The Bengals forced a three and out on the first drive of the game, but the Chiefs then scored on four straight possessions giving them the 28-17 lead at halftime.

The defense in the second half looked like a completely different unit. They held Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to just three points, 112 yards, and only allowed them to run 23 total plays.

Two of the toughest players to defend in the NFL are Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill. The Bengals held Kelce to just five catches for 25 yards and a touchdown. They held Hill to six catches for 40-yards.

The offense put on a show throughout this one, but the defensive performance in the second half deserves a ton of praise by holding one of the league’s best, if not the best, offenses to just three points on their way to the division clinching win.

The Bengals will close out the 2021-22 regular season next Sunday as they travel to face the Cleveland Browns.