Against the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 2, the Cincinnati Bengals allowed just three points in the second half in a 34-31 come-from-behind win at Paul Brown Stadium.
It clinched a playoff spot for the Bengals and the franchise has gone on to reach the AFC Championship Game where they play that same Chiefs team.
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The defense, however, does look a tad different than that game as unit suffered a season-ending injury to defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, but linebacker Germaine Pratt also didn't play in that game on Jan.2.
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The question is, following the Chiefs epic offensive performance versus the league's No. 1 ranked defense in the divisional round against Buffalo, can the unit repeat the second half performance?
Or will it look like the first half, when Cincinnati allowed 28 points?
Here's a look at the Bengals defensive depth chart against the Chiefs and the players who will answer that question.
Bengals defensive line
- DE: Trey Hendrickson
- DT: D.J. Reader
- DT: B.J. Hill
- DE: Sam Hubbard
The Bengals play a non-traditional; 4-2-5 defense with four down linemen.
Hendrickson is Pro Bowler who recorded 14 sacks for the Bengals this season after signing as a free agent from the New Orleans Saints last spring.
Reader was one of the first players to join this new era of Bengals football when he signed in 2020 on the largest free agent deal in team history. He is coming off one of his best games ever as a Bengal during the 19-16 win over the Titans.
Hubbard, a Pro Bowl alternate is a Cincinnati native and signed an extension before the season, while Hill came to the Bengals in the Billy Price trade during the summer.
Ogunjobi, a Pro Bowl alternate started most of the season for the Bengals, but was hurt against the Raiders and placed on injured reserve.
Defensive end backups: Cam Sample, Khalid Kareem; Defensive tackle backups: Tyler Shelvin, Josh Tupou, Zach Kerr
Bengals linebackers: Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt
Cincinnati only starts two linebackers in coordinator Lou Anarumo's defense. And both have made the two biggest plays in the team's 2022 playoff run.
Wilson picked off Ryan Tannehill to help set up the game-winning field goal against the Titans.
Pratt intercepted Derek Carr in the endzone to seal the first Bengals playoff win in 31 years in the wild-card round. It might become one of the most famous defensive plays in franchise history.
Backups: Markus Bailey, ClayJohnston, Keandre Jones
Bengals cornerbacks
- NCB: Mike Hilton
- CB: Chidobe Awuzie
- CB: Eli Apple
The Bengals start three corners and all are in their first year with the franchise. Hilton and Awuzie were key free agent signings while Apple, a former high first-round draft pick out of Ohio State, joined the Bengals slightly under the radar.
Hilton is a Pro Bowl alternate and Awuzie might have been on the cusp of that this season.
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Apple received playing time when Trae Waynes, one of the headliners of the 2020 free agent haul, missed most of the season with an injury. Waynes was activated in time for the playoff run.
Backups: Trae Waynes, Tre Flowers, Vernon Hargreaves, Jalen Davis
Bengals safeties Vonn Bell, Jessie Bates
The safeties are Bell and Bates and make for a strong pair.
Bell is a former Ohio State standout who signed with the Bengals in 2020 and Bates has been one of the best safeties in the NFL since being drafted by the Bengals.
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Bates' contract negotiations were the talk of camp and he admitted it distracted him this season. The fourth-year standout finished with 62 tackles on the year.
Backups: Ricardo Allen, Michael Thomas
How the Bengals got to the AFC Championship Game
What's the 2022 NFL playoff schedule look like?
Here's the playoff schedule this week:
AFC:
- Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs, 3 p.m. Sunday on CBS
NFC:
- San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams, 6:30 p.m. Sunday on Fox
Cincinnati Bengals 2021 schedule
- Week 1: Bengals 27, Minnesota Vikings 24
- Week 2: Chicago Bears 20, Bengals 17
- Week 3: Bengals 24, Steelers 10
- Week 4: Bengals 24, Jacksonville Jaguars 21
- Week 5: Green Bay Packers 25, Bengals 22
- Week 6: Bengals 34, Detroit Lions 11
- Week 7: Bengals 41, Baltimore Ravens 17
- Week 8: New York Jets 34, Bengals 31
- Week 9: Cleveland Browns 41, Bengals 16
- Week 11: Bengals 32, Raiders 13
- Week 12: Bengals 41, Steelers 10
- Week 13: Los Angeles Chargers 41, Bengals 22
- Week 14: San Francisco 49ers 26, Bengals 23
- Week 15: Bengals 15, Denver Broncos 10
- Week 16: Bengals 41, Ravens 21
- Week 17: Bengals 34, Kansas City Chiefs 31
- Week 18: Browns 21, Bengals 16
- Wild-card round: Bengals 26, Raiders 19
- Divisional round: Bengals 19, Tennessee Titans 16
- AFC Championship Game: Bengals at Chiefs, 3 p.m. Sunday in Kansas City
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