The Sports Xchange

CINCINNATI — On Cincinnati’s fourth play from scrimmage Sunday, quarterback Andy Dalton scooped up a poor snap then passed to wide receiver A.J. Green for a 36-yard gain.

It was an indication of how the game would go for Dalton and the still unbeaten Bengals.

Dalton completed his first 10 pass attempts and finished with 321 yards. Running back Jeremy Hill scored three touchdowns as Cincinnati improved to 4-0 for the fourth time in a franchise history with a 36-21 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs at Paul Brown Stadium.

The Chiefs entered Sunday’s game with an NFL-leading 14 sacks. But Dalton wasn’t sacked while being hit rarely.

“We knew the challenge was going to be up front today,” Dalton said. “The guys answered and I didn’t get hit too much.”

Conversely, Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith was sacked five times and pressured often.

Despite the constant barrage, Smith was 31 of 45 for 376 yards passing for Kansas City (1-3).

“We’ve got to tighten that up,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of the sacks. “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.”

Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles had 145 all-purpose yards, and receiver Jeremy Maclin had 11 catches for 148 yards.

Despite 461 yards and nearly a 15-minute advantage in time of possession, the Chiefs managed just seven field goals by Cairo Santos.

Cincinnati led by two points in the third quarter when it had another fortuitous play.

With Dalton scrambling, wide receiver Brandon Tate broke free from Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters, then made a diving catch inside the 5-yard line. Tate, however, was not touched down by Peters, so he got up and dove into the end zone for a 55-yard touchdown, making the score 21-12.

What we learned about the Bengals:

1. Through four weeks this season the Bengals have 122 rushes and 128 pass attempts, just the type of balance offensive coordinator Hue Jackson prefers, especially since it has resulted in four straight wins. “We try to have as much balance as you can have each week,” said quarterback Andy Dalton. In Sunday’s 36-21 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati attempted 26 passes and 24 rushes. Six different receivers had catches, led by A.J. Green who had 10 catches for 82 yards. Running backs Gio Bernard and Jeremy Hill had 62 and 40 yards, respectively. It will be interesting to see what schemes opposing defenses will impose to slow the Bengals’ attack.

2. Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth quipped earlier this week that he was having a good day until he watched Chiefs OLB Justin Houston on film. That was the collective sentiment for the Bengals offense coming into Sunday’s game against Kansas City, which came in with an NFL-leading 14 sacks. But in the end, quarterback Andy Dalton wasn’t sacked once and was rarely touched. “We knew the challenge was going to be up front today,” Dalton said. “The guys answered and I didn’t get hit too much.”

3. Bengals running back Jeremy Hill enjoyed limited duty the past two weeks, partly due to a pair of fumbles in a win over San Diego and a solid start for backfield mate Gio Bernard. On Sunday against the Chiefs, Hill scored Cincinnati’s first TD on an 8-yard run and finished with 40 yards on nine carries and three TDs. Hill said quarterback Andy Dalton was relentless in his motivational tactics this this. “I kept saying, ‘What happened to Jeremy Hill?'” said Dalton. Hill averaged 4.4 yards per carry on Sunday. “Andy was in my ear all day,” Hill said. “People were ready to crucify me. I don’t pay attention to any of that.”

Etc.:

–WR Brandon Tate’s first catch of the season was a big one. Cincinnati led by two points in the third quarter when receiver Tate beat Chiefs corner Marcus Peters, then made a diving catch inside the 5-yard line. Tate, however, wasn’t touched down by Peters so he got up and dove into the end zone for a 55-yard TD, making the score 21-12. “He’s got a role and he’s always trying to take advantage of his opportunity,” said coach Marvin Lewis.

–RB Jeremy Hill had a rough couple of weeks with a pair of fumbles against San Diego and limited playing time in last week’s victory at Baltimore. But, with quarterback Andy Dalton in his ear throughout the game, Hill produced 40 hard-earned yards on nine carries and three TDs. “Andy was in my ear the whole time,” Hill said. “Telling me ‘you’re washed up’ or ‘sophomore slump.’ It’s a team effort. People wanted to crucify me. I can’t pay attention to all that stuff.”

–S George Iloka was inactive Sunday due to a shoulder injury, which had him listed as questionable on Friday. Shawn Williams made his first career start at safety in Iloka’s place. It’s the first game Iloka has missed since 2012, his rookie season.

–CB Adam Jones started Sunday’s game against the Chiefs after being listed as questionable with an elbow injury. Jones also handled kickoff-return duties. He finished with one assist and two kickoff returns, including a 25-yarder.

–WR A.J. Green, coming off a 227-yard game last week that earned him AFC player of the week honors, had 10 catches for 82 yards in Sunday’s 36-21 win over the Chiefs. Green got more attention in the second half, opening up some opportunities for teammates, such as receiver Brandon Tate, who had a 55-yard touchdown catch to put the game away. “They were trying to find ways to take him away and other guys were able to make plays,” said quarterback Andy Dalton.