Bengals vs. Chiefs: Live Game Grades and Player Analysis for Kansas City

The Kansas City Chiefs fall short to the Cincinnati Bengals at home, 28-6.

The Chiefs scored first in this game, but did not hold on for very long. The Chiefs did not score a touchdown at all in this game and struggled against a weak Bengals defense, even after switching from Matt Cassel to Brady Quinn.

In this slideshow, you will find grades for the Chiefs in their loss to the Bengals.

Starting QB, D

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Q4, D: Neither Cassel nor Quinn could do anything to make a difference in Sunday's loss, which consisted of a Chiefs offense that failed to score a touchdown.

Q3, D: So the Chiefs decided to make a change and put in Brady Quinn. That has yet to make a lick of a difference. In fact, the Chiefs offense failed to produce any points.

Q2, C: Cassel did a nice job of moving the football on the final drive of the first half to add three more points. But if Cassel can only move the football during the two-minute offense, the Chiefs have to consider a new quarterback for next season.

Q1, D: Matt Cassel is still the same quarterback we all know. Cassel isn't able to make any plays. Part of it has to do with the thin offensive line he's working with. But don't kid yourself. This has still been the case all year.

Offense, F

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Q4, F: The Chiefs offense only had possession of the ball for 24 minutes, still more than 10 minutes less than the Bengals. Even so, the Chiefs couldn't find the end zone once in the 24 minutes they had the ball.

Q3, F: The Chiefs aren't facing a ferocious Bengals defense. The Bengals are ranked 19th in total defense and the Chiefs have put up only two field goals on them. That shows how bad the Chiefs offense is.

Q2, C: The Chiefs offense hasn't done anything worth noting. The worst part is, Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City's top receiver, appears to have a head injury and is not playing. Cassel is already playing without Jon Baldwin. It's likely Jamaal Charles gets a lot of touches in the second half.

Q1, C: The Chiefs did a nice job of moving the football in the second drive and get three points. However, Peyton Hillis fumbled the ball after Cassel had just fumbled not to long before the giveaway. Ball security has been an issue all year for the team.

Running Back

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Jamaal Charles, A-: Jamaal Charles usually shows up for the Chiefs each week. His 5.1 yard per carry average is not rare, even during the worst of times for the Chiefs.

Peyton Hillis, F: Peyton Hillis has been a disappointment this season. He fumbled in the limited carries he had and took a severe punishment for sitting on the bench for a long time.

Wide Receivers

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Dwayne Bowe, Incomplete: Dwayne Bowe was targeted twice for no catches and suffered an injury early in the game and never returned.

Steve Breaston, C: He caught one pass. Similar to how he's contributed all season long, despite filling in for Jon Baldwin. Nothing else to say.

Dexter McCluster, B-: Dexter McCluster did an okay job, but nothing to awe fans.

Tight End

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Tony Moeaki, B: Tony Moeaki was targeted more than other receivers due to the offense losing Bowe and already being without Baldwin. Moeaki was serviceable in helping the Chiefs move the ball on some plays.

Offensive Line

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Branden Albert, B: Branden Albert did a good job in the run-blocking game. He suffered a back injury at one point and had a questionable return.

Jeff Allen, B: Like Albert, Jeff Allen had a couple of nice run blocks for Charles.

Bryan Mattison, F: Bryan Mattison had a couple of awful snaps. It makes Ryan Lilja more valuable. And Lilja is a player who never played center in his career until this season.

Eric Winston, B-: Shifting from right tackle to right guard, Eric Winston managed to do fine. He had to make the switch due to limited offensive lineman available for this game.

Donald Stephenson, C: Donald Stephenson received some face time as a rookie. He had an average game and is not ready to start in the league yet.

Defense, D

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Q4, D: The Chiefs defense didn't do any dancing, unlike last week. The defense had a couple of bright spots. However, they have a lot to work on moving forward.

Q3, D: The defense has played a little bit better, but giving up 21 points in the first half has been a big part of today's failure.

Q2, F: The Chiefs defense can't tackle. If ESPN, or any media outlet is interested in featuring a poor display of tackling, this game would be best for them.

Q1, C: The Bengals offense moved the ball well on Kansas City's defense. Keep in mind, this is Gary Gibbs' second game as defensive coordinator. Let's see how much of last week will be carried over to this game.

Defensive Line

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Tyson Jackson, B+: Tyson Jackson rarely has a good game. He got to Andy Dalton a couple of times and made a couple of big plays to help the defense.

Dontari Poe, B: Another surprising performance also came from the Chiefs young defensive line. Dontari Poe had a couple of pushes and got to Dalton once on a quarterback hit.

Ropati Pitoitua, D: Ropati Pitoitua, who is filling in for Glenn Dorsey, was no where to be found Sunday against the Bengals, minus a couple of tackles.

Linebackers

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Tamba Hali, A: As always, Tamba Hali provides pressure on opposing quarterbacks and was able to do the same thing against Dalton.

Justin Houston, D: After a great performance last week, Houston took a step back and was no where to be found for help.

Derrick Johnson, B: After a 10-tackle game, Derrick Johnson is on pace to return to the Pro Bowl. He and the linebackers have been the best thing for the defense all year.

Jovan Belcher, C-: Jovan Belcher didn't make much of an impact against the Bengals. The Chiefs will need more from Belcher to stop the run from the middle.

Defensive Backs

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Eric Berry, B: Eric Berry's gotten a little bit better this year, but still has a lot to work on in the passing game. The bright spot for him is that he led the team in tackles. The bad news is, some of it came after long runs and passes that went for a first down.

Brandon Flowers, B-: Brandon Flowers had about an average day. He left a couple of receivers open and at times he came through with good coverage.

Javier Arenas, D: Javier Arenas is still learning to take Stanford Routt's role, but is struggling a bit. He was a victim of an A.J. Green one-handed catch as well.

Abram Elam, C: Abram Elam had a hard time in coverage against Dalton's pass-catchers. The worst part about his day was the questionable penalty he received when attempting to breakup a pass.

Special Teams, B

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Q4, B: It was nice to see Succop. He was the only one who provided a score for the Chiefs on Sunday.

Q3, B: Someone please explain why Terrance Copper and Andy Studebaker felt the need to go pick up a dead ball off a punt when the returner, Javier Arenas, allowed it to fall. You're asking for trouble there. Luckily, the Chiefs didn't suffer any consequences.

Q2, A: Succop has regained himself. He missed a field goal in each of the previous two games. He's been busy by giving the Chiefs six points.

Q1, B: There isn't anything different about the special teams unit. Ryan Succop is accurate, for the most part, Dustin Colquitt always shows up and the return game isn't that great.

Coaching, F

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Q4, F: Some of Crennel's press conferences has consisted of him saying he does not understand why things went down the way they did. I can imagine he probably feels the same about this one. It won't look good on him as his tenure as head coach of the Chiefs could be a short-lived one.

Q3, F: The Chiefs decide to make a quarterback switch and the score is still the same as it was at halftime. This shows you how bad the coaching staff is in Kansas City. They don't even know what to do or how to fix their problems. Seems like these random adjustments can be made by anyone watching the game at home.

Q2, F: The Chiefs are failed to do anything big on both sides of the ball. The Bengals are not only outplaying the Chiefs, but Marvin Lewis and his staff are out-coaching Romeo Crennel and his staff, with ease.

Q1, F: The Chiefs coaching staff isn't doing good right now. The team was unable to score a touchdown in the first quarter and they allowed one. The coaches must be held accountable.