The game

In Week 2 of the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs host the Cincinnati Bengals at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:25 p.m. Arrowhead time. The game will be broadcast on CBS – locally on KCTV/5.

Since the Bengals were originally an expansion franchise of the American Football League in 1968 – and both Kansas City and Cleveland became part of the AFC when their league merged with the NFL in 1970 – the history of these two franchises stretches back more than five decades.

But for now, the focus is on the three seasons in which Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs and Joe Burrow of the Bengals have led both teams’ offenses. The teams have met five times in that span. Cincinnati won the first three meetings – including the 2021 AFC Championship that denied Kansas City its third consecutive Super Bowl – but in the ensuing postseason, it was the Chiefs who dashed the Bengals’ championship hopes. All four of those games were decided by three points.

But in Week 17 of 2023 – with Burrow out due to injury – Kansas City earned a 25-17 victory over Cincinnati, securing its eighth consecutive division title and the third seed in the AFC playoffs.

Sunday’s game is the first meeting of the Mahomes-Burrow era before Week 13, so it’s impossible to say if it will be as decisive as the previous five matchups. With most of the country watching in the late afternoon, both teams are expected to view it as a game against an AFC contender.

In Week 1, the Chiefs scored a 27-20 win over another AFC elite team, the Baltimore Ravens, while the Bengals are coming off a stunning 16-10 home loss to the New England Patriots.

Either way, it will probably be an unforgettable game.

Screws and nuts

• Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
• Playing area: Natural grass
• Playing time: 3:25 p.m. Arrowhead Time, Sunday, September 15, 2024
• Weather forecast: Mostly sunny and 30° with 9% chance of rain and winds from ESE at 14 km/h
• Matchup history: Bengals 17-15 (regular season)
• Opportunities: Chiefs -5.5, per FanDuel Sports Betting
• Official: referee Alex Kemp (55), Referee Michael Morton (89), below judge Robert Richeson (100), Linesman Rusty Baynes (59), Field Judge Sean Petty (28), side judge Lo van Pham (99), Rear Judge Scott Helverson (93), official replay Gerald Frye and Replay Assistant Julie Johnson
• Splendor: Colors: Missouri and Kansas Highway Patrol Guard of honour. National anthem: The Haygoods. Transfer: 1st Combat Aviation Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division from Fort Riley, Kansas. Drum Deck Award Winners: Kansas City Current Midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta. Spiritual Leader: Command Sergeant Major of the US Army Susie Nu’uvali.

• TV broadcast: with Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson on KCTV (CBS/5-Kansas City), Chiefs Mobile App, WKRC (CBS/12-Cincinnati) and CBS affiliate stations nationwide – see coverage map
• Stream: Fubo.TV, Paramount+
• Chiefs radio broadcast: with Mitch Holthus, Danan Hughes and Josh Klingler on KFNZ (96.5 FM and 610 AM-Kansas City), WDAF (106.5 FM-Kansas City) and the affiliates of Chiefs Radio Network
• Chiefs Spanish radio broadcast: with Oscar Monterroso, Hannah Bassham and Adan Manzano on the Audacy app (“Chiefs en Español”), KSSA (105.9 FM and 1470 AM-Graden City, Kansas), Chiefs Mobile App, Tico-Sports.com and NFL+
• Bengals Radio Show: with Dan Hoard and Dave Lapham on WLW (700 AM-Cincinnati), WCKY (1530 AM-Cincinnati), WEBN (102.7 FM-Cincinnati) and the partner stations of the Bengals Radio Network
• SiriusXM broadcast: Channel 228
• Hostile SB Nation Site: Cincy Jungle
• X: Arrowhead Pride
• Facebook: Please like us!

What you need to know in the stadium

• Parking spaces open: 11am
• Stadium gates open: 1:30 p.m.
• Parking permits: All parking permits must be purchased in advance at www.Chiefs.com. No payments will be accepted at the parking garage toll booths.
• Cashless Arrowhead: All food stalls and sales outlets are completely cashless. In addition to traditional credit/debit card scan and chip reading options, all fixed outlets will offer mobile tap or scan payment options including Chiefs Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. Street vendors and in-stadium sellers will only accept credit cards.
• Transparent bags, permitted items: The NFL’s clear bag policy applies to all events at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Fans can visit www.Chiefs.com/stadium/clearbag for important information on the clear bag policy and a complete list of permitted and prohibited items. Guests will enter the stadium through CEIA OPENGATE security screening technology. As guests approach the stadium, they should keep items in their pockets and/or clear bags while going through the advanced screening devices and follow the instructions of security personnel. All fans should move through the screening lanes at a normal pace, as they will not be required to wait for the person in front of them or stop unless otherwise instructed.
• COVID-19: Masks are no longer required indoors, but masks are recommended, according to the Kansas City, Missouri Health Department. Fans should stay home if they are sick, exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, or have had close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. If you become ill and cannot attend the game, you can resell or transfer your tickets.