Happy Thanksgiving! The Cincinnati Bengals are 6-4 entering Week 12 and have plenty to be thankful for this holiday season. Let’s dive into three things in particular that this fan base should be thankful for.
3. Team is in playoff contention and has a shot at the AFC North title!
Ahead of the season, not many people would have realistically chosen the Cincinnati Bengals to hoist the AFC North crown when the season was over with. The Ravens and Browns were the two favorites to win the division prior to the regular season kicking off and the Steelers, while expected to take a step back, were still more well-thought-of than that of the Bengals.
Well — We’re now 11 weeks into the 2021 regular season and the Bengals are in the AFC North race just as much as everyone else. They’re currently second in the division with head-to-head victories over the Ravens (currently leading the division) and Steelers. WynnBET has given Cincinnati the second-best odds to win the AFC North.
If you had told any Bengals fan that the team would be 6-4 and vying for not just a playoff spot but for the division title this late in the season, they’d have been jumping for joy.
2. Organization spent money in free agency and it’s paying off
The Bengals aren’t an organization known for their pocketbook. They tend to try and build their team through the draft and not make big free-agent signings or crazy trades.
This past offseason, however, the franchise spent a lot of money in free agency and trying to make this a better team. So far, it’s panned out.
Trey Hendrickson, fresh off an explosive season for the New Orleans Saints, inked the largest deal at four years worth $60 million. The deal was met with mixed opinions, as Hendrickson had just that one dominant season with the Saints.
Meanwhile, Carl Lawson — who led the team in sacks last year — was allowed to leave and sign with the Jets. Letting Lawson go and signing Hendrickson instead was not a popular move but it’s paid off… literally.
The Bengals also signed Chidobe Awuzie, Mike Hilton, Larry Ogunjobi, Riley Reiff, and re-signed Quinton Spain. Awuzie has really come into his own as CB1 and Ogunjobi has made a huge difference upfront on the defensive line. Reiff isn’t the perfect right tackle but he’s helped this offensive line find its footing.
Fans should definitely be thankful that the team dipped into the free-agent pool to fix positions of weakness. Here’s to hoping they do the same thing this spring.
1. Joe Burrow is the franchise quarterback
In order to be a true Super Bowl contender, an NFL team needs to have a franchise quarterback. We’ve seen teams like the Kansas City Chiefs rise to the ranks of a Super Bowl contender year in and year out because they have Patrick Mahomes. The Buffalo Bills are considered a Super Bowl contender because they have Josh Allen.
Well, fortunately for the Bengals, they appear to have their franchise quarterback and his name is Joe Burrow, who they took No. 1 overall a year ago. Burrow had an insanely good season at LSU in 2019, winning the Heisman Trophy, and leading the Tigers to the National Championship title that season. That resulted in him going No. 1 to the Bengals in the 2020 NFL Draft.
As a rookie, Burrow showed plenty of swagger and confidence through his 10 games as the starting quarterback. An injury might have sidelined him for the final six games of his rookie campaign but he was back under center this year and that swagger hasn’t faded.
C.J. Uzomah coined the nickname “Joey Franchise” for his quarterback because, well — He’s the franchise.
As long as the Bengals have Burrow and give him the tools to succeed, they have the ability to be very good for a very long time.
It’s hard to find a franchise quarterback but the Cincinnati Bengals have theirs and that’s absolutely a reason to be thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving!