The Cincinnati Bengals are 5-5 thanks to a 28-6 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, and that leaves them just on the outside of the playoff picture. They put up that win based on strong fundamentals, as SB Nation's Bengals blog Cincy Jungle points out:
Bengals vs. Chiefs 2012: Strong fundamentals deliver a Cincinnati win
The Cincinnati Bengals picked up a win over the Kansas City Chiefs thanks to no turnovers, a strong rushing attack and winning time of possession.
Peter Aiken
Ultimately the theme during Cincinnati's win over the Kansas City Chiefs was three-fold -- sustaining drives, no turnovers and a rushing offense.
Three of the team's four touchdowns went at least 11 plays and 70 yards (the first two drives went 83 and 88 yards respectively). A.J. Green was his usual self while Jermaine Gresham went from mistake-prone tight end to pissed off difference-making, hauling in six receptions for 69 yards (with one nearly becoming a touchdown, but called back after review).
Over the course of the season the Bengals have taken the ball away 15 times, but coughed it up 17. That -2 turnover margin ties them for sixth in the AFC. They’ve also had trouble with consistency in the rushing attack, and average only 3.7 yards per carry so far this season. The 189 rush yards gained against the Chiefs was a season-high, and well above the 93.6 per game they averaged before Sunday.
The Bengals will continue trying to work their way into the playoff picture, next against the Oakland Raiders, who are 21st in the league against the rush with an average of 119 yards given up per game.
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