CINCINNATI — One of the hardest things to do in the NFL is not look too far ahead. If the Bengals are going to make another deep run into the playoffs, they need to keep reminding themselves that they haven’t accomplished anything yet.
All the Bengals have to do to remind themselves of that is take a look at the AFC North standings. They are 5-3 and technically in last place in the division. Yes, all four teams are in playoff position but one slip up and the Bengals could easily find themselves on the outside looking in.
The Bengals have their sights on becoming the first team to win the AFC North for three straight years. To accomplish that, it will come painstakingly one game at a time.
Minutes after Sunday night’s 24-18 win over the Buffalo Bills before 66,965 delirious striped fans at Paycor Stadium, the Bengals did just that.
Joe Burrow led the troops to their fourth straight win after a 1-3 start by completing 31-of-44 passes for 348 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The quarterback suffered a bloodied right index finger in the second quarter and was thrown to the ground several times, including once when his head bounced off the turf.
After the game, Burrow was low-key as ever.
“We’re 1-0 this week, that’s all that matters,” Burrow said when asked about a fourth straight win. “We have to be 1-0 next week, too. So, we’re just taking it a day at a time. We’ll come in and watch the tape tomorrow, go through our routine, and we’ll go from there.”
Yes, it’s the oldest cliche in sports. One game at a time. But that’s where the Bengals are. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
It keeps you humble and focused on the process, not the end line in January and maybe February.
Burrow was all business and straightforward in his responses, reflecting what he wants the mood to be as the Bengals continue with a gauntlet of a schedule.
“This was only Game 8. We still have nine games left. We’re 5-3 right now,” Burrow said. “We’re in a great spot. We just have to continue to get better.”
Joe Burrow says he's happy with signs team is starting to show. pic.twitter.com/nwyh9PkDVU
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 6, 2023
That’s not to say Burrow can’t see the positive signs. He knows the Bengals have scored touchdowns the first two times they touched the ball for the third straight game and that the defense has seven interceptions and two forced fumbles, including a huge play from Nick Scott and Germaine Pratt on Dalton Kincaid in the fourth quarter to thwart a Buffalo drive.
Scott upended Kincaid, Pratt forced the fumble and Scott jumped on the ball.
“We’re really happy with how we’ve played the last couple of weeks,” Burrow continued. “We have to keep it going. We’re 1-0 this week. We have to be 1-0 next week, too. This week means nothing. We’ll come in, watch the tape, lift, go about our business and we’ll go from there.”
What about the head coach?
Zac Taylor was asked if this four-game streak, including wins over San Francisco and Buffalo, puts the team in championship contender status again.
“We don’t need to worry about that right now,” Taylor said. “We have a team we trust and believe in. We have a huge game next week against the Houston Texans, and that’s all we’re worried about. We’re not even at the midway point of the season yet. The only thing we can focus on is getting ready for Houston, and I know our guys will do that.”
Zac Taylor says Bengals don't need to worry about their status as a playoff caliber team right now. Plenty of time for that later pic.twitter.com/SNYNjw0RF2
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 6, 2023
There’s good reason that Taylor doesn’t want his team looking ahead to Baltimore in less than two weeks. They have quarterback C.J. Stroud and the upstart Houston Texans next Sunday at Paycor. Stroud set an NFL rookie record with 470 yards passing and five touchdowns in a 39-37 win over Tampa Bay.
The Bengals are not in any position to take a rookie quarterback for granted, not in this day and age of the NFL.
“We have to prove it every single week,” Taylor said. “It doesn’t matter who we play. There are a lot of great teams on our schedule that are coming at us, the Houston Texans being one of them. We focus no whoever’s in front of us. We have to put in six great days of work and put our best effort out there.”
The Bengals did so many things Sunday night that remind you of how talented they are, even when facing one of the game’s best quarterbacks.
They intercepted Josh Allen once. They forced another turnover in a key moment of the fourth quarter. They got great production from an area that had been quiet all season, with three tight ends combining for 10 catches and 101 yards and two touchdowns.
Recovered by Nick Scott 👏#BUFatCIN | 📺 NBC pic.twitter.com/xMQyQM76qD
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 6, 2023
And they closed out a game for the second straight week, finishing off the final 3:32 by converting a key pass to Tyler Boyd on first down and having Joe Mixon run off right side for a game-clinching first down.
While Burrow and Taylor played it low-key, others took Sunday night’s win a different way, a sign that the Bengals are starting to show what they’re capable of as the season wears on.
Are the Bengals are the best team in the AFC right now?
“Damn right. Yeah. Just like that, I’m going to say it every time. We’ve got more games to come and we get to prove ourselves every time,” said Cam Taylor-Britt, the corner with the interception of Allen in the second quarter.
“I think so,” added Drew Sample. “I think we always believed that. Obviously, early in the season, we went through some bumps, but I think we’re starting to hit our stride. There are a lot of games left and everything is pretty much in front of us. We need to keep stacking week-by-week.”
As Burrow was leaving the field Sunday night, he handed a ball to a young fan. Was there anything behind that or was it spur of the moment?
“No, I don’t need any more of those balls, so I thought I’d make somebody’s day,” Burrow said.
Burrow will take the ones in January and February for himself. Until then, it’s business as usual.
