Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo isn't buying into speculation that Bengals' offense is slowing down

Anytime the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals face off, you know it's going to come down to the wire.

Each of the last five matchups between the two have been decided by one possession. The Bengals beat the Chiefs three times in a row during the calendar year of 2022, but Kansas City has beaten them the last two times they've played. Cincinnati already finds itself needing a win after being upset by the New England Patriots last week.

There are currently a number of concerns regarding the Bengals' offense. Quarterback Joe Burrow has been r ecovering from wrist surgery , but he has been insistent that it is not affecting his throws. While he could be telling the truth, he may also just not want to make excuses. Then there's wide receiver Tee Higgins, who missed last week with a hamstring injury and will likely miss this game as well.

Bengals right tackle Amarius Mims also missed the matchup with the Patriots and his status for this week is up in the air. Finally, there's star receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who held out of all of training camp and preseason as he looks to secure a new contract, which has yet to happen. He played last week and will likely play against the Chiefs, but conditioning and rust could be a concern.

Despite all of these issues going on for Cincinnati, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is preparing for its best shot. He told reporters on Thursday that as long as Burrow and coach Zac Taylor are running things, he expects the Bengals' offense to execute well.

“The quarterback (Burrow) is always going to make offensive schemes different," Spagnuolo said. "I just think the way that – they stick to what they do. They’re one of those offenses that will try to find ways to get you to show them what you’re doing so that they can get in the best play. Then, he’s (Zac Taylor) got a quarterback that does it as good as anybody. I think that’s always been a challenge for us. They’re really good at that.”

The Bengals' offense has had way too much success against Spagnuolo's defense over the years for him to take them lightly. Even with the issues it has going on, Cincinnati still has plenty of firepower and could get back on track at any given moment. That is why Spagnuolo isn't buying that Burrow isn't fine and that the Bengals are distracted.

“Yeah, I’m not buying it," Spagnuolo said while laughing. "I’m not buying it. He (Burrow) looks pretty good to me. I’ve got a great deal of respect for this quarterback, the wideout (Ja’Marr Chase), the whole offense, the coaches (and) the way they run their program."

There's no doubt that Spagnuolo will have his defense fired up and ready to play well on Sunday. If the K.C. defense can start fast and make a statement early, Cincinnati's offense could start to press, potentially leading to turnovers. A loss for the Bengals here puts them in an 0-2 hole, while the Chiefs would have two early wins against potential playoff teams .

Related: Latest injury report suggests both Chiefs, Bengals will be without receiving threats in Week 2