CINCINNATI — With downcast eyes, Joe Burrow shifted his weight from one foot to the other while issuing clipped answers to reporters' questions after the Bengals' 26-25 loss Sunday to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Rarely has the supremely confident Cincinnati quarterback looked so irked or uncomfortable after a game — or at any time, for that matter. He said it was one of the most frustrating losses he's experienced.
“This one stings a bit,” Burrow said.
The Bengals were much better Sunday than in their moribund 16-10 loss to the Patriots in Week 1. Burrow threw better. The Bengals moved the ball. The defense tackled better and created three turnovers.
Burrow was frustrated because the Bengals played well enough beat the Super Bowl champs. Instead, they dropped to 0-2 for the fifth time in six seasons.
“I felt good about the game plan,” Burrow said. “We were protecting. We just didn’t do enough to get it done.”
Kansas City had a fourth-and-16 late in the game when a pass-interference call against Cincinnati rookie safety Daijahn Anthony gave the Chiefs a first down within the range of Harrison Butker. Three plays later, Butker kicked a 51-yard game-winner as time ran out.
Burrow finished 23 of 36 for 258 yards and two touchdowns. However, he fumbled the ball away while being sacked early in the fourth quarter, and Chamarri Conner returned it for a 38-yard touchdown to give the Chiefs a 23-22 lead.
“There were a lot of good things, but unfortunately, we came up a play short against a really great team,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “You just have to find a way to make one more play than they do.”
Without the injured Tee Higgins (hamstring), Burrow spread the ball around, completing passes to eight receivers. Tight ends Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample and Erick All Jr. combined to catch 14 passes for 151 yards. Gesicki led all receivers with seven catches for 91 yards. ... The defensive recorded its first two interceptions of the season, one by linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither and the other by cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt. ... Edge rusher Trey Hendrickson sacked Mahomes twice.
Cincinnati's defense tackled better than in its opener but still is searching for the right formula to contain the run game. The unit allowed 149 rushing yards, including 90 on 19 carries by Isiah Pacheco. Injuries during the game to interior linemen B.J. Hill and Sheldon Rankins didn't help.
Andrei Iosivas caught two passes Sunday, both of them touchdowns. The Bengals have given the second-year player out of Princeton more reps and responsibility since longtime starting receiver Tyler Boyd moved on.
Ja'Marr Chase killed a drive in the fourth quarter when he screamed and cursed at a referee, who flagged him for unsportsmanlike conduct. Chase thought Kansas City's Trent McDuffie should have been flagged for an illegal hip-drop tackle. Without the penalty, Cincinnati would have had a third-and-7 from the Chiefs 30. Instead, the 15-yard penalty put the Bengals behind the chains, and they eventually had to settle for one of Evan McPherson's four field goals. Chase finished with four receptions for 35 yards.
Hill and Rankins left the game with hamstring injuries. Their status was still to be determined. Higgins, the No. 2 receiver, missed the first two games with a hamstring injury.
74 — Rushing yards by the Bengals against the Chiefs.
The Bengals showed signs that things are starting to click. They'll have a chance to pick up their first win when Washington (1-1) visits Paycor Stadium on Monday, Sept. 23. The Commanders slipped past the New York Giants 21-18 Sunday, thanks to seven field goals from newly acquired Austin Seibert.