The Bengals’ victory over the Chiefs in October produced an unwanted piece of trivia. For the first time in club history, the team had surrendered 30 or more points in three straight games in a nonstrike season.
The defense, expected to be a team strength, was reeling. Coordinator Bob Sutton talked about keeping emotions in check and relying on a veteran group that he believed in.
Sutton has been rewarded for that belief.
The Chiefs have one of the NFL’s hottest defenses. In the six weeks since the Bengals’ loss, the Chiefs top the NFL in scoring defense, yielding an average 14.