Patrick Mahomes isn’t taking the Kansas City Chiefs’ upcoming opponent lightly.
Even though the Cincinnati Bengals suffered a disappointing 16-10 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday, Mahomes is still anticipating a hard-fought matchup with the Chiefs in Week 2.
“Obviously they didn’t have the first week that they wanted to, so they’re going to even be more hungry to go out there and try to get a win,” Mahomes said during a Monday appearance on The Drive on Audacy’s 96.5 The Fan (1:27:55 mark). “It’s going to take our best football, and we know that.”
The Bengals’ defense struggled with missed tackles against New England, as Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson racked up 120 yards on 25 carries. Cincinnati also committed multiple costly turnovers.
The Chiefs took down another AFC North team in their Week 1 matchup, defeating the Baltimore Ravens by the final score of 27-20. Mahomes finished 20-of-28 for 291 yards and a touchdown to go along with an interception.
Kansas City and Cincinnati previously met in the AFC Championship Game in both 2021 and 2022. The Bengals won the first meeting in overtime at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs were able to earn some revenge in the following year, securing a victory after Harrison Butker nailed a 45-yard field goal near the end of the fourth quarter in a tie game.
Mahomes and the Chiefs appear to have momentum on their side after the respective Week 1 performances from each team, but that doesn’t mean he’s overlooking Kansas City’s upcoming opponent.