CINCINNATI — Nov. 10, 2019. I went to the Bengals game that day against the Baltimore Ravens, a matchup that featured the 0-8 Bengals hosting the 6-2 Baltimore Ravens, and the Ravens were probably better than their 6-2 record with the way quarterback Lamar Jackson was playing. For whatever reason, my cousin said to me walking into the stadium that the thought the Bengals would win that game. Having been to the Bengals game against the Ravens in Baltimore earlier that season and seen Lamar Jackson become only the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for 200 yards and rush for 150 yards in that game, my response to my cousin was “Ryan, let me tell you what you’re about to witness…” Well, anyone who was there that day remembers Jackson’s Houdini-like touchdown run, the Ravens leading 49-10 in the third quarter and 75 percent of Paul Brown Stadium being empty by the start of the fourth quarter. How drastic the difference was in talent between the two teams was comic relief to how agonizingly painful it was being a Bengals fan at that time. It was like being the low fans of the NFL fan totem pole.
But you know what else was at Paul Brown Stadium that day? A banner on the east side of the stadium that said “If you fix it, Dey will come.” At the next home game, the same banner read “Let’s grow with Joe.” The silver lining on the Bengals hitting rock bottom in 2019 was that by being the worst team in the league, they would get the first overall pick in the 2020 draft and get to select Joe Burrow. Well, we all know what happened with that, but so much else has happened too. So much progress has been made that being a Bengals fan is not just fun again, but this is the most fun I’ve ever gad being a Bengals fan. And it’s the kind of fun where I’m not worried about how far this team goes this season. I’m having fun watching the growth of this team, a team that distances my memory from all the heartbreak I’ve been through as a Bengals fan.
The Bengals 41-17 drubbing of Ravens in Baltimore yesterday was without a doubt a statement that, yes, the Bengals are for real. They are a legitimate threat in the AFC North and maybe the AFC overall. And yesterday’s result was the biggest testament to how far this organization has come the last two seasons. That Houdini-like touchdown run from Jackson in Paul Brown Stadium two years ago? Yeah, that now has some competition with Ja’Marr Chase’s 82-yard touchdown that included a nasty spin move on Ravens all-pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey. The Bengals now have that player that can absolutely take the top off the opposing defense, and provide highlight reel-like plays I could watch for days. Chase can explode for a big gain at many moment, you feel like, as evidenced by having five touchdowns of 30 or more yards so far this season. You never feel like the Bengals are out of any game because of Chase’s big-play knack, as evidenced by his 70-yard touchdown before halftime of the Green Bay game that got the Bengals back in that game. And yesterday showed that Chase also has the ability to flip the entire momentum of a game to the Bengals with his 82-yard touchdown where most of his work came after the catch. Chase’s effortless explosiveness adds a level of excitement to this team not seen at the wide receiver position since Chad Johnson. He’s like having a Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill or Stefon Diggs on your team, a walking highlight reel that you can’t wait to watch on the national sports shows and watch in person at Paul Brown Stadium.
Going back to Lamar Jackson, the Bengals had their best performance against him defensively since he entered the league in 2018. Sure, he gained 345 total yards, but he was under duress all day. Nothing came easy for him and the Ravens offense, unlike the previous five games against the Ravens when everything seemingly came easy for them against the Bengals. When was the last time the Bengals made it look easy against an opponent the caliber of the Ravens? Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard both put their respective money where their mouths are with 3.5 combined sacks. Give this front office credit for the acquisition of Trey Hendrickson, who may be the best edge rusher in the league, and extending Sam Hubbard, a hometown product who has continually gotten better each season he has been with the Bengals. Add in the free agent acquisitions of Larry Ogunjobi, who had 1.5 sacks Sunday, and D.J. Reader up front plus veteran winners in Vonn Bell and Mike Hilton in the secondary, and it’s a testament to the front office giving the defense every tool necessary to compete. No longer do I dread the defense going out on the field and fear them getting shredded by dynamic offenses. Now I feel confident that the defense is going to hold serve against even the best offenses in the league, like they did against Green Bay and now Baltimore, and give the offense a chance to cook.
Joe Burrow. He was phenomenal yesterday. We had been waiting for him to have a game like this where he absolutely balls out and dominates the opposing defense. In a league where there are so many talented young quarterbacks that garner a lot of attention, it’s time to include Burrow amongst that group. He’s finally being prolific at the level we hoped he would be coming off his Heisman Trophy winning 2019 season. It’s fun being a fan of a team whose quarterback gets a lot of national attention, and I think Burrow is getting to that point where he is that quarterback. And talk about second-year growth. Last year against the Ravens he was sacked seven times, intercepted once and lost a fumble. Just over a year later, he became the only quarterback ever against the Ravens to throw for 400 yards and three touchdowns against their defense. His pocket presence was as good as it has ever been throughout his first 17 career starts. The Ravens blitz packages didn’t bother him the slightest once he settled in, and my goodness has his deep ball passing improved. It’s almost automatic he’s going to hit on passes down the field. It feels big time with Joe Burrow as the Bengals quarterback. It feels like the sky is the limit and the potential is limitless.
The Bengals not only currently lead the AFC North but they also would be the No. 1 seed in the AFC if the playoffs started today. It’s remarkable how far they have come, and it’s surreal that everything Zac Taylor preached about character, culture and the tight-knit locker room the Bengals have during his first two seasons as head coach when the Bengals struggled; now, it’s actually coming to fruition. I have to give Taylor credit for that. Through all of that losing, a major roster overhaul and a culture change that was reportedly not going well at times last year, Zac Taylor now has his guys on the roster, every player on the team bought in, that sense that these players, who are all really likeable, really enjoy playing with one another and a team that is really fun to watch because of all those elements.
I don’t know how this season will play out, but there’s a feeling that this team is different than Bengals teams of the past 30 years. Nothing seems to faze this team. Burrow throws three interceptions on three straight passes? Comes right back and throws two touchdowns on two straight passes to give the Bengals a chance at a come-from-behind win. Down 14-0 at halftime against Jacksonville with only four first downs and 107 yards of total offense? Burrow led the Bengals on four scoring drives on four total second half possessions while throwing for 253 yards and two touchdowns on 17/20 passing. Going on the road to Baltimore and all the complex blitz packages they show on defense? Burrow sets a career-high with 416 passing yards and three touchdowns and Ja’Marr Chase absolutely destroys all-pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey.
You factor all the progress this team has made on the field to not only be competitive but flashy and combine it with the work Elizabeth Blackburn and the front office did with the new uniforms, the Ring of Honor and improving the fan experience at Paul Brown Stadium on game days, and being a Bengals fan is as fun as it has ever been for me. Sunday was a huge testament to the work the front office has done over the past two years on the field specifically, and where the rest of the season takes this Bengals team remains to be seen. All I know is, it’s the most fun it’s ever been for me being a Bengals fan.
Let me be Frank and Cut to the Chase 