Dick Vermeil says he doesn’t think ahead to his Chiefs finishing 16-0 and becoming the NFL’s first unbeaten team since 1972.

Chad Johnson says Vermeil doesn’t have to, that Kansas City’s unbeaten streak will end at nine next week in Cincinnati.

Johnson could be right. The Chiefs’ game with the Bengals just might be the most difficult on Kansas City’s upcoming schedule.

“We will win — that’s a guarantee,” Johnson said Sunday after Cincinnati beat Houston, 34-27. “It’s no offense to their organization. It’s just the way I feel. Some people might not like it, but I’m confident that my teammates won’t leave me hanging.”

Yes, Johnson is brash, just like cousin Keyshawn, who has been left hanging once or twice.

But consider this:

• At 4-5, the Bengals have as good a record or better than eight of last season’s 12 playoff teams. That includes the Super Bowl participants, Tampa Bay (4-5) and Oakland (2-7)
• As those records indicate this is a wacky season. Sunday, three teams with one win each (San Diego, Jacksonville and Atlanta) beat three teams with a combined 17 (the Vikings, Colts and Giants).
• The Bengals have motivation. They’re only a game behind Baltimore in the woeful AFC North and the Ravens’ quarterback, Kyle Boller, may be out for the season because of a quadriceps injury.
• Nothing has gone wrong yet for the Chiefs — unless you count Chris Crocker’s ankle tackle Sunday of Dante Hall that (temporarily) denied Hall his record fifth return touchdown of the season. While other teams lose a Boller, a Marvin Harrison or a Jeremy Shockey — all hurt Sunday — the Chiefs’ surgeons might as well be unemployed; they’ve had no injuries of any magnitude.

Still, the members of the unbeaten 1972 Dolphins, who uncork the champagne when the last team finally loses each season, must be getting nervous.

Not only are the Chiefs good but, in another random bit of luck, they have one of the NFL’s softest schedules. After narrow escapes early against Baltimore, Denver and Green Bay, there’s no one who looks scary on paper.

They don’t play any of the other three AFC powers, Tennessee, New England or Indianapolis. Just two of their final seven opponents, Denver and Minnesota, are over .500. Those two each are on three-game losing streaks, although Jake Plummer should be back at quarterback for the Broncos, who lost 24-23 in Kansas City only because of Hall’s most spectacular return.

“It’s hard to say, ‘undefeated,'” Cleveland cornerback Daylon McCutcheon said after the Chiefs beat the Browns, 41-20. “Undefeated — that’s a huge accomplishment. But they’re on a roll, and a team’s going to have to come in and play good to knock them off.”