Cincinnati Bengals rookie safety Daijahn Anthony committed a costly pass interference penalty, leading to a defeat at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs by the final score of 26-25 on Sunday.

With the Chiefs needing 16 yards to gain on fourth down from their own 35-yard line and 53 seconds left in the game, Patrick Mahomes launched a deep pass to Rashee Rice. Anthony collided with Rice just before the ball reached him, leading to the penalty.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor didn't have an issue with the officiating after the loss.

"They saw it as a penalty," Taylor said, per Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Anthony was selected by the Bengals with a seventh-round pick in the 2024 draft. He thrived in training camp for Cincinnati, recording three interceptions in the team's first nine practices (h/t Geoff Hobson of the team's official website). It's worth noting that he only played two snaps for the Bengals in their Week 1 loss to the New England Patriots, though.

Mahomes finished 18-of-25 for 151 yards and two touchdowns, but he was also picked off twice. This included an impressive one-handed interception by Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt at the end of the third quarter.

The Bengals and Chiefs have clashed several times over the past few seasons, developing into one of the NFL's top rivalries after meeting in the AFC Championship Game in both 2021 and 2022.

Even though Cincinnati won their first AFC title game featuring the two teams, Kansas City has gained the upper hand in the matchup as of late. The Chiefs have now defeated the Bengals in each of their last three meetings, including the 2022 AFC Championship Game.

The contest ended in a similar manner compared to Sunday's finish, as Bengals pass-rusher Joseph Ossai was called for an unnecessary roughness penalty on Mahomes near the end of the fourth quarter. The extra 15 yards gave Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker more room to hit the game-winning field goal and send the team to the Super Bowl.

While the Bengals' defense performed admirably against the reigning Super Bowl champions on Sunday, another ill-timed penalty resulted in Cincinnati starting 0-2 for the second straight year while the Chiefs remained unbeaten.