The Chiefs have owned just about every team in the NFL during their dominant, five-year run with Patrick Mahomes as their starting quarterback. Few have been able to go blow-for-blow with the superstar quarterback, and that's why the Chiefs have now made it to five consecutive AFC Championship Games.
That said, there is one team that has given the Chiefs plenty of trouble. That would be the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals have won three consecutive games against the Chiefs, all of which came during the 2022 calendar year. They won each by a narrow, three-point margin and have established themselves as the top threat to Kansas City in the loaded AFC.
Cincinnati's success has, unsurprisingly, coincided with the arrival of Joe Burrow. The No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft has rapidly developed into a top-tier NFL starter and his strong performance has helped key the Bengals' success against the Chiefs.
But just how good is Joe Burrow against the Chiefs, and how does he get the most out of this favorable matchup? Here's a breakdown of his stats against the Chiefs and how he stacks up against Mahomes.
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Joe Burrow stats vs. Chiefs
Burrow has been nothing short of excellent during his career when facing the Chiefs. He has never lost to Kansas City and has logged a 3-0 record against them during his young career to date.
Burrow has been able to beat the Chiefs by taking advantage of the matchup advantages the Bengals have over them. Kansas City's defense doesn't match up well with the route running and quickness of Ja'Marr Chase and the size of Tee Higgins at receiver. As such, Burrow so he has frequently targeted those two in the passing game.
That said, Burrow also hasn't forced the ball downfield as some quarterbacks are wont to do. He is perfectly willing to check the ball down to the likes of Hayden Hurst at tight end or Joe Mixon out of the backfield. That is part of what has kept the offense moving and allowed him to be efficient as a whole.
Burrow has a cumulative passer rating of 121 against the Chiefs. However, in two regular-season games, his passer rating is 138.8; that is the best mark he has posted against any NFL team during his three-year career.
Below is a full look at Burrow's stats versus Kansas City:
| Stat | Total |
| Record | 3-0 |
| Comp. % | 72.2 |
| Passing yards | 982 |
| Pass TDs | 8 |
| INTs | 1 |
| Yards per attempt | 9.1 |
| Passer Rating | 121.0 |
| Rushing yards | 81 |
| Rush TDs | 1 |
Indeed, Burrow has been impressive when playing Kansas City. In fact, he has actually outplayed Patrick Mahomes when their two teams have done battle.
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Patrick Mahomes stats vs. Bengals
One might expect that Mahomes' stats against the Bengals would compare favorably to Burrow's. Indeed, they do when looking at the four games that Mahomes has played against Cincinnati.
However, in the three games that Mahomes has played against the Burrow-led Bengals, it is clear that the younger passer has been the better one. Mahomes has certainly produced enough to keep Kansas City in shootouts with Burrow, but he has been more explosive than efficient and consistent.
Because of this, Mahomes has generated more turnovers than Burrow and fewer touchdowns, too. That's part of why he is 0-3 head-to-head against Burrow and just 1-3 overall against the Bengals during his career.
Below is a look at Mahomes' stats against the Bengals, both in his three games against Burrow and in the four total games he has played against Cincinnati.
| Stat | Total (vs. Burrow) | Total (all games) |
| Record | 0-3 | 1-3 |
| Comp. % | 67.3 | 68.6 |
| Passing yards | 757 | 1,115 |
| Pass TDs | 6 | 10 |
| INTs | 2 | 3 |
| Yards per attempt | 7.5 | 8.0 |
| Passer Rating | 101.0 | 107.3 |
| Rushing yards | 43 | 98 |
| Rush TDs | 1 | 1 |
That Mahomes' stats dip against the Bengals and that Cincinnati is just one of four teams against which he hasn't a losing record perhaps shouldn't come as a surprise. The Chiefs have beaten the Bengals just once since the 2008 season; Cincinnati has a 7-1 record against Kansas City in that span with the lone win coming thanks to Mahomes' performance against an Andy Dalton-led team.
And while Mahomes' record against Burrow may not be good, he still has the third-year passer beat in a head-to-head comparison.
Joe Burrow stats vs. Patrick Mahomes stats
Burrow has Mahomes beaten head-to-head, but Mahomes is the one who put together the better season in 2022.
Mahomes had one of his best seasons to date in 2022. He led the NFL in passing yards, touchdown passes and QBR and was named a first-team AP All-Pro for his performance. He seems highly likely to win the NFL's MVP award for the second time in his career as well.
Burrow certainly didn't have a bad season by any measure; he was named a Pro Bowler and threw a career-high 35 touchdowns during the campaign. He also qualified for the NFL's all-time completion percentage leaderboard and currently sits at No. 1 with his mark of 68.2 percent.
It's also worth noting that while Burrow didn't miss a start, he and the Bengals only played in 16 games because of their canceled Week 17 bout with the Bills. So, had he been given a chance to play a 17th game, his numbers would have, perhaps, been more comparable to Mahomes.
Even still, the sixth-year veteran outplayed Burrow individually as the numbers below show:
| Stat | Patrick Mahomes | Joe Burrow |
| Record | 14-3 | 12-4 |
| Comp. % | 67.1 | 68.3 |
| Passing yards | 5,250 | 4,475 |
| Pass TDs | 41 | 35 |
| INTs | 12 | 12 |
| Yards per attempt | 8.1 | 7.4 |
| Passer Rating | 105.2 | 100.8 |
| QBR | 77.7 | 58.8 |
| Rushing yards | 358 | 257 |
| Rush TDs | 4 | 5 |
| PFF grade | 91.2 (3rd best) | 91.5 (2nd best) |
Mahomes has edged Burrow for now, but it's worth noting that he has six years of NFL experience compared to Burrow's three. So, the Bengals quarterback could give him more of a run for his money in 2023.
And it's not like Mahomes has Burrow beaten by that much. In fact, Burrow finished the season with a higher PFF grade than Mahomes. He ranked second in the league with a 91.5 rating while Mahomes' mark of 91.2 was third best.
Either way, neither Mahomes nor Burrow will be focused on individual accolades as they square off on Sunday. Mahomes will look to earn his first win over Burrow to make it to his third Super Bowl while Burrow will try to knock off the Chiefs and advance to the big game for the second time in as many years.
