There’s Plenty To Be Thankful For In Cincinnati
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will miss the rest of the 2023 season.
Any longtime Cincinnati Bengals fans know that the franchise has a long history of losing and embarrassment.
Week 5 great plays:(2000) DE Jason Taylor strips Akili Smith & takes it in for a TD as Dolphins defeat the Bengals. pic.twitter.com/E2M50xQb1v
— Dolphins History (@DolphinsHistory) October 7, 2023
Diehard Bengals fans have suffered through so much as a franchise. Two crushing Super Bowl losses in the 80s, a barrage of miserable draft picks in the 90’s (like the one shown above), and a string of first round playoff exits in the 21st century. There was an era of futility that seemed like it was going to last forever.
For now, it’s finally over, and Bengals fans couldn’t be more thankful.
Even though he won’t return until 2024 while he recovers from a wrist injury, Joe Burrow, along with his college pal Ja’Marr Chase, have provided some of the most exciting offensive stretches the Bengals have ever seen.
JA'MARR CHASE 72 YARDS! 😱🤯pic.twitter.com/Gi0x9OibcG
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) January 2, 2022
JA’MARR CHASE 82 YARDS TO THE HOUSE pic.twitter.com/UH4HsrgROT
— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) October 24, 2021
Shall we keep going?
Ja’Marr Chase One-Handed!#SuperBowl #RuleItAll
pic.twitter.com/EcXuXxtKdc— SportsGrid (@SportsGrid) February 14, 2022
It’s not just Uno that’s a human highlight reel who makes memorable plays. There’s also the beloved Tee Higgins…
Tee Higgins just MOSSED the #Chiefs to tie the game at 13.
The #Bengals were down 21-3 in the AFCC last season and came back to win it. Now came back to tie it from 13-3.pic.twitter.com/iVT2cp2aY3
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 30, 2023
…and Tyler Boyd.
#Ravens forgot to cover Tyler Boyd and paid dearly.pic.twitter.com/oVfJXiZB6O
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 26, 2021
Bengals fans everywhere should be grateful not just for the past few years, but what is in store for the future. Even though Joseph Lee won’t return until next season, there is zero reason to believe that Cincinnati won’t return to form with a fully healthy team and a hunger to return to the AFC Championship game after making it for two years in a row.
The Bengals reached peak elite form in the 2021-22 playoff run when they shocked not only their own fans, but the world with a magical playoff run that saw them make their first Super Bowl appearance for the first time since the 1988-89 season. They defeated the Raiders at home for their first playoff win since 1991, and followed that up with a massive upset against the number one seed Tennessee Titans on the road, which were cemented by a Logan Wilson interception and an Evan McPherson field goal as time expired. Against the mighty Chiefs on the road the very next week, after quickly falling behind 21-3, Cincinnati stormed back, shocked the world, and beat the Chiefs in overtime by a final score of 27-24.
Though they couldn’t pull off their first ever ring two weeks later against the Rams, Bengals fans everywhere knew – it wasn’t the end. Rather, it was only the beginning of something special, and for that, we should all be thankful.
Times are far from over, as well. Yes, that ever-elusive Super Bowl ring has felt like a dollar bill dangling on a fishing pole over our heads. “There’s always next year” has always felt like a repeated mantra that Cincinnati uses to cope with the toughness of their heartbreaking playoff losses of the last few years. 2023 is more than likely a lost cause, as Joe Burrow is gone for the year and Cincinnati sits at 5-5 and well out of the AFC playoff race.
Even with all that heartbreak, Cincinnati is grateful to have something it hasn’t had since the original version of Double Dare was on TV – legitimate hope for a Super Bowl.
Though 2023 has been a tougher year than nearly everyone expected it to be, the team showed glimpses of greatness that kept them in the conversation as a team that is truly elite. If you don’t believe us, ask Dave Portnoy’s wallet.
Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, places huge bet on Bengals to win Super Bowl https://t.co/QwyIgKVfCY
— Enquirer (@Enquirer) November 8, 2023
From taking out San Francisco in dominating fashion on the road, to taking out Buffalo in prime time, to Ja’Marr Chase being “always f***in’ open”, the Bengals showed they will be in the conversation as one of the NFL’s elite teams for years to come.
There is no reason to believe that Cincinnati can’t return to that form. 2024 will feature a Bengals team that is hungry to return to form, and a team that knows that excellence is the standard. Zac Taylor, known for his ability to maintain an impeccable culture as head coach, has all the pieces he needs to keep spirits and Super Bowl hopes high. For that, Cincinnati has no reason to be anything but thankful.
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