The Cincinnati Bengals made a major change to their locker room over the bye week. In an attempt to increase energy and improve camaraderie, the team brought back two ping-pong tables that used to be a staple of the locker room prior to a recent renovation.
Ping-pong tables are back in the Bengals locker room
"Yeah, just creating energy in the locker room," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said of the return of the tables. "You know, it's December football now, and we need everyone to be at their best. Need everyone to have energy when they walk into the locker room. That creates some competitiveness.
"I just want guys to interact, and that's one way to do it," he added. "It's one way to create some energy and get guys up and active."
Given Taylor's logic, it's fair to wonder why the Bengals ever decided to get rid of the tables in the first place. But, they apparently realized the error in their ways and brought them back, and players seem to be pumped about it.
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"We've got the ping pong tables back in the locker room," kicker Evan McPherson said. "Everybody's excited about that, just to get to compete and not just football. I feel like it just rejuvenated everybody's spirit. We're excited, and we're treating this like a whole new season."
Will the return of the ping-pong tables be enough to lift the Bengals out of the 4-7 hole they dug for themselves to this point in the season? We'll find out, but it doesn't hurt to hope.
After a week off, the Bengals will be back in action in Week 13 against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers in a game that they need to win in order to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Cincinnati currently has about a 12 percent chance of qualifying for postseason play, but that number will drop down below five percent with a loss to the Steelers, according to the New York Times' updating playoff simulator.
Despite their struggles this season, the Bengals still largely control their own destiny. They have six games left on their regular season schedule. If they can win all six of those remaining games, they have a 94 percent chance of qualifying for postseason play, according to the team's website. So, the path is clear. They just need to take care of business, and maybe the return of the ping-pong tables will help them do that.