Bengals: What we learned in Week 5 overtime loss to Packers

Bengals can compete with NFL’s best

Yes, Cincinnati lost what would have been their most impressive win in quite some time but the bigger story here is that this team showed they can keep up with the better teams in the league.

That was the big argument against buying into them through Weeks 1-4 as they faced the Vikings, Bears, Steelers, and Jaguars before getting their first true test vs. the Pack. And guess what? The Bengals delivered when their toughest test came to town and showed they’re not the layup they once were.

Maybe the stripes didn’t emerge from this game with a victory but showing the rest of the league that they can battle hard against good teams is a big statement from this group. Had just a few things gone differently, the Bengals would be 4-1 and would have knocked off one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

This is a young team who haven’t had many quality wins on their schedule yet and while they shouldn’t be happy with a moral victory, there was a lot to like about the direction this team is headed in.