Real Football: Soul-searching time for Kansas City Chiefs & Cincinnati Bengals

Less than one year ago, Chiefs coaches and players swaggered their way into a fifth Super Bowl. The trip was a rite of passage. This was an organization on top of the football world.Joe Burrow and the Bengals, for a period, resembled this team’s greatest threat. They’re the only other AFC team to reach a Super Bowl since 2018.Now? Both clubs can pack their bags for Cabo.Now? Both need to face harsh realities.On this week’s edition of “Real Football,” we examine the Super Bowl windows of a handful of teams. My co-host Jim Monos has faced similar questions in NFL front offices.* Miami lost in the cold. Again. Mike McDaniel’s belief in Tua Tagovailoa has turned from blessing to curse. We discuss the quarterback’s ceiling and this relationship. * It’s one thing to want another quarterback, yet another to successfully acquire another quarterback. Ask Cleveland. * I still like the Lions’ present and future. Monos? He’s not so sure.* What happened to Kansas City?! One opposing defensive coach gets blunt with Go Long on their personnel. It may surprise you.* There’s a (very) noticeable gap between Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen this season. That’s a problem. Mahomes needs to find a counterpunch.* Hey, there is one disgruntled star out there who could prove to be exactly what the Chiefs need. Everything fits. (Considering the rise of Sean Payton’s Broncos, they’ll need to be aggressive.)* The Bengals listened to their QB, paid both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins top dollar… and the defense remained bad. Very bad. We examine the one move they need to make this spring to recover. * Quarterbacks need to quarterback. GM need to GM.* Why the NFL needs NHL-style fights. Video and Audio of the full 80-minute podcast is above for paid subscribers. The best place to catch all podcasts is at GoLongTD.com and inside the Substack app. If you prefer to listen on Apple over Overcast, bang it here to sync your account. Instructions on syncing on Spotify are also here.We’d love it if you shared Go Long with a loved one this Christmas season.Past episodes:* Your move, C.J. Stroud* It’s Not Sunny in Philadelphia* An Epiphany in Buffalo* What’s wrong in Buffalo?* Meet the NFL’s 2025 Party Crashers This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.golongtd.com/subscribe