Chiefs vs. Bengals: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 Regular Season

After years of sitting on the cusp of contention, the Cincinnati Bengals finally appear to be realizing their potential.

Quarterback Andy Dalton threw for over 300 yards for the second straight week, and running back Jeremy Hill scored three touchdowns as Cincinnati earned a 36-21 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. The Bengals are 4-0 for the first time since 2005 and sit two full games clear of any other team in the AFC North.

Their winning streak has led some to put them ahead of perennial title contenders: 

Cincinnati's ascent to the NFL's elite coincides with Dalton earning his franchise-quarterback moniker. The former TCU star has thrown just one interception through his first 116 attempts, avoiding the mental mistakes that have marred his career thus far.      

"He's different," Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said, per Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "I think he's another year in the system. I think he's comfortable. I think he's comfortable with me. I think he's comfortable with his teammates. He now knows it's time for him to take the next step in his process. I think that's what he's doing."

ESPN's Mark Schlereth added to the Dalton praise:

Perhaps most impressive about Dalton's day was the way he spread the ball around the field. Brandon Tate, Tyler Eifert, A.J. Green and Mohamed Sanu each had more than 50 yards receiving. All of Tate's 55 yards came via a third-quarter bomb that put Cincinnati ahead 21-12 and helped open up a game that had been close to that point.

The NFL tweeted out a video of the spectacular play:

Sanu led the team overall with 84 yards, while Green's was just behind him with 82 yards on seven receptions. Dalton needed only 17 completions on the day, as Kansas City's secondary consistently allowed big plays.

Once the Bengals got into the red zone, it became the Hill show, as the second-year back had his first career three-score game and second multi-touchdown contest of 2015. Each of his touchdowns came from inside the 10-yard line. Giovani Bernard had a 13-yard score of his own in the first quarter and finished the game with a team-high 62 yards.

SB Nation's NFL feed is correct in its assessment:

As for Kansas City, its afternoon was defined by being able to keep up from a yardage perspective but failing to finish long drives. Alex Smith threw for a season-high 386 yards on 31-of-45 passing, but the Chiefs did not score a single touchdown.

Kicker Cairo Santos made seven field goals, coming within one of tying the all-time NFL record set by Rob Bironas in 2007. Five of the seven kicks came from 40 yards or less, a frustrating sign for fans who will say the Chiefs left points on the board. Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated sent a pointed criticism head coach Andy Reid's way:

Overall, Kansas City outgained Cincinnati 461-445 and held possession for nearly 37 minutes. Jeremy Maclin had his second straight strong performance, catching 11 balls for 148 yards. Jamaal Charles failed to get into the end zone for the first time in 2015, but he had 145 total yards and made six receptions to help those in points-per-reception fantasy leagues.

Sitting at 1-3 and losers of three straight games, the Chiefs are already putting themselves in danger of missing the playoffs. While they've been competitive, their season has been defined by missed opportunities. Their loss to the Denver Broncos was filled with late-game mishaps, and Reid's conservatism in Cincinnati territory played a part in their undoing Sunday.

The Bengals, meanwhile, are playing with house money heading into next week's showdown with the Seattle Seahawks. Their defense looked far shakier than they'd want against Kansas City, but Dalton's leadership has the offense looking like one of the best in football. A quarter of the way into 2015, the Cincinnati Bengals and Andy Dalton might be your AFC Super Bowl favorites.

Who would have thought that in January?

Postgame Reaction

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis told reporters he was pleased with the team's second-half effort:

"

I was pleased with what we did in the second half today. We came out and got the stop on defense and got rolling on offense. We were able to put the ball in and got it back up to a two-score lead. That’s the first time this season that we’ve been able to do that. We showed some confidence and poise in doing that. We still have a lot of stuff to work on—penalties and some other things to clean up out there from today. Just keep rolling and keep grinding. It’s a good win for us. We’ll get started again tomorrow.

"

Giovani Bernard also commented on the offense, specifically the job done by quarterback Andy Dalton: "We know the type of playmakers this offense has. Andy (Dalton) has done a great job this season. He has gotten us to the right places and made the right reads.”

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said his team gave up too many sacks, per the Sports Xchange (via KTUU.com): "We've got to tighten that up. We're young in some spots and inexperienced in some spots. (The Bengals) have a good defensive front, which isn't an excuse. We're moving backwards and we have to take care of that."

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.