The Bengals Are On The National Stage At The Exact Right Time
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws in the fourth quarter during an NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Bengals won, 17-13.
Any time a team has a playoff hangover, the media jumps all over it. The Bengals, who were widely expected to be a team that repeated as a dominant force in the league, started off 1-3 and were immediately subjected to those regression questions. The third of those three losses was an ugly loss to the Titans that included zero offensive rhythm.
Those fortunes seemingly changed overnight thanks to one much needed and perfectly timed post-game expletive from Ja’Marr Chase.
“When you tell the world you’re always open, you gotta prove it. If that’s the case, you might as well make history while you're at it.”
Episode 5 “Always Open” is narrated by Ja’Marr Chase
Watch live now: https://t.co/iKgSHsfJtT pic.twitter.com/8S6UHRg3x5
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 26, 2023
Since then, the Bengals have pulled off three wins in a row, all against the NFC West. They put on an offensive clinic against the Cardinals, snuck out a win against Seattle, and dominated the 49ers from start to finish.
Those tough tests continue in a Sunday night game against the Buffalo Bills. It’s a matchup that has enough hype and narrative for two Sunday nights.
The Bengals are on the national stage at the exact right time. After much of the nation lost faith in the Bengals after their egregiously slow start, they’ve cruised to three straight victories and are believed to have returned to the form that got them to the AFC Championship game two years in a row. They now are primed for Sunday night where they can prove it to a nationwide audience.
After a slow start largely due to a nagging calf injury, Joe Burrow has caught fire his last three games, posting an 8/2 TD to INT ratio. Ja’Marr Chase has 31 receptions for 372 yards and 4 TDs in his last three games, and even found himself taking home some hardware after Week 5.
In case you missed it…#Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase named as the AFC Offensive Player of the Week!
15 catches
192 yards
3 TD's pic.twitter.com/JgSU0zyXCU— Josh Iles (@WDNToday) October 12, 2023
The last two games against Buffalo featured an offense that was in full rhythm before Damar Hamlin’s freak accident, and a 27-10 drubbing of the Bills in the 2022-23 AFC Divisional Round.
The Bills have had a season that’s been more or less the opposite of what the Bengals have had. Though they had an early season loss in Week One in a game that saw Aaron Rodgers tear his Achilles, the three games after were dominating wins against the Raiders, Commanders, and Dolphins. Since then, they’ve cooled off a bit, going 2-2 in their last four games, all of which were one score games.
Not only do Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs remain one of the most elite QB-WR tandems in the league, but a new weapon has emerged over the last two weeks in the Bills offense.
Bills rookie Dalton Kincaid did a terrific job staying with Josh Allen out of structure and working open on this play for his first career TD.
The first-round pick out of Utah is really starting to make an impact for Buffalo. pic.twitter.com/JXWIU0BFre
— Seven Rounds in Heaven (@7RoundsInHeaven) October 27, 2023
Stopping Kincaid will be essential if the Bengals want to pull out a victory. It’s going to be a tall task, especially given that the Bengals are dead last in the NFL in fantasy points per game allowed to tight ends in 2023. Even with the statement win against San Francisco, George Kittle eviscerated the Bengals defense for 9 receptions and 149 yards.
This weekend will come with its fair share of challenges, hype, and backstory. If the Bengals want to fully re-cement themselves as one of the AFC’s most elite teams, they need to overcome the monster that is the Buffalo Bills.
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