The Bengals' season had been defined by blown leads and missed opportunities, but last night the Bengals flipped the narrative. We've been waiting for the Bengals' luck to finally turn, and maybe, against all odds, it finally has.
Yesterday was the type of game the Bengals have lost all year. When the score is close, when the stakes are high, when mistakes are magnified, when someone – anyone – needs to make a play, the Bengals have consistently fallen short. It’s been the theme of the season: the Bengals can’t finish. The matter seemed settled.
But now, after pulling out an improbable win against the Dallas Cowboys a couple weeks ago, and now, after defeating the Denver Broncos 30 - 24 in overtime in a wild Saturday game, it might be time to reconsider that narrative.
The Bengals were left for dead in Week 13 following an embarrassing 44 - 38 defeat at the hands of the dreaded Pittsburgh Steelers in Paycor Stadium. Their record at home dropped to 1 - 4, their playoff chances were tumbling toward zero, and the call for massive, sweeping changes to the Bengals coaching staff, front office, and roster were growing ever louder. All the Bengals have done since is rip off four straight wins.
As they’ve done for the last four years, the Bengals are rounding into form for the stretch run. It’s taken a little longer than most hoped for, but it’s happened all the same.
The concept of the “must-win” game in the NFL is a funny one, because, more times than not, when we use the term “must-win” game, it’s not actually must-win in literal terms. Instead, we apply the term to ideas like getting off to a good start or proving oneself against top-tier competition in preparation for the playoffs. The Bengals, apparently, are in the minority here. For them, must-win means must-win – and they’ve acted accordingly.
Since Week 13, the Bengals literally could not lose again if they wanted to make the playoffs. That was the hole they had dug for themselves. But ever since the Bengals’ backs were firmly against the wall, the tide has suddenly shifted. The bounces that were never going their way have changed course.
The game against Denver was another perfect example. It was a game the Bengals should have lost. And should have won. Then lost again.
It was a game where the Bengals left points on the board. And turned the ball over in the most inopportune time. And suffered a critical special teams error. Just one mistake like that can cripple a team. All three in one game is usually disastrous. The Bengals can attest to that.
Somehow, though, the Bengals found a way last night. Despite failing a fourth-down attempt in the red zone, despite a back-breaking fumble in the fourth quarter, and despite missing a chip-shot field goal in overtime, the Bengals bested the Broncos. It was the first time the Bengals have beaten a team with a winning record all year. There were other firsts last night as well.
It was the first time the Bengals won a game this season because of their defense, and not in spite of it. Of course, the Bengals defense still had several periods of ineffectiveness, but for the most part last night, they held their own, limiting Denver to three points at halftime, forcing an enormous interception by Germaine Pratt of Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix after the aforementioned fumble by Tee Higgins on the previous possession, and forcing two tremendous three-and-outs of the Broncos offense in overtime.
And speaking of Tee Higgins, it was the first time this year where Tee really dominated the game (his nine receptions for 148 yards and one touchdown in Week 11’s loss to the Chargers notwithstanding). It’s been another injury-riddled season for Tee, but he finally put on display the talent that will make him likely the most coveted free agent in the NFL this offseason. With eleven catches for 131 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-deciding score, Higgins was a nightmare for the Broncos secondary. With Ja’Marr Chase being shadowed by perhaps the NFL’s best cornerback in Patrick Surtain II, Higgins made the Broncos pay for it on the other side over and over again.
It goes without saying at this point, but Joe Burrow was incredible once again, throwing for over 400 yards and three touchdown passes, and running another in himself just before the end of regulation. We even got to see Joe’s take on Ja’Marr’s famous “Griddy” touchdown celebration. He’s now thrown for 250 yards and three touchdowns in eight consecutive games, a new NFL record, and he did it against the NFL’s most dangerous pass rush. Burrow paid dearly for it – the Broncos got him for seven sacks, the most the Bengals have allowed all season – but he still managed to complete nearly 80% of his passes anyway. Joe’s MVP case just keeps getting stronger by the week.
As today stands, the Bengals are still, impossibly, in the playoff hunt. They need the Miami Dolphins to lose one of their next two games, and they need Denver to lose again next week to the Kansas City Chiefs who will likely sit Patrick Mahomes. Oh, and they still need to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers next week. The odds are still long, but they’ve been long for over a month now. The pressure is nothing new, but the Bengals’ newfound confidence is.
The Bengals are still a very flawed team. Their defense played well overall – and their improvement during this four-game win streak has been noticeable – but it’s still a weak link. The offensive line was helpless at times and is now dealing with the potential loss of rookie right tackle Amarius Mims. The kicking game is as unreliable as ever. Burrow still has to pull a rabbit out of his butt more often than you’d like for the offense to function consistently.
But, flawed or not, the Bengals are still alive. They’ve defied the odds to be in this position. Naysayers, like your’s truly, didn’t think the Bengals were consistent enough to win four games in a row, but they’re here all the same. The Steelers now stand in the Bengals way once more, the same team that nearly snuffed out their season one month ago.
But the Bengals team that will arrive in the Steel City on January 5 is different from the one that fell to the Steelers in the Queen City on December 1. The Bengals finally have some wind in their sails. We’ve been trying to tell ourselves that the Bengals’ luck had to change at some point, and maybe, just maybe, it has.