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Taylor: ‘You’ve got to love ball’

How Bengals built an offense ready for the Super Bowl

LOS ANGELES – With seven seconds left in Week 16 of the 2019 season, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd was crawling down on the field and struggling to get back to his feet.

The Bengals were trailing the Miami Dolphins by eight points, but former Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton was leading a game-tying drive. Boyd, who finished that game with nine catches for 128 yards, was injured on one of the final plays of regulation, but he hobbled to the line of scrimmage to avoid a 10-second runoff that would have ended the game.

For head coach Zac Taylor, the 2019 season was about identifying which pieces he could rely on when the Bengals were ready for the big stage. On a roster that couldn’t win more than two games, the Bengals were looking for a few long-term pieces who could fit Taylor’s explosive offense and also set the tone he was looking for in the locker room. Taylor’s first Bengals team gave 1,605 combined snaps to Auden Tate, Alex Erickson, Damion Willis and Stanley Morgan Jr. as wide receivers playing starting roles. Out of necessity, the Bengals needed to use a two-tight-end systemthatwentagainstwhatTaylor’sideal offense looked like.

Bobby Hart, Cordy Glenn and Andre Smith were the offensive tackles. John Miller, Michael Jordan, John Jerry and Alex Redmond played offensive guard.

Three years later, most of those players are out of the NFL. The Bengals completelyrebuilttheiroffensewithavision of pairing concepts from Joe Burrow’s LSU offense with concepts from the Los Angeles Rams’ offense.

Here’s how the Bengals’ Super Bowl offense was built:

2019 Cincinnati Bengals:

A few core pieces

Before Taylor even coached a game in Cincinnati, he identified tight end C.J. Uzomah, Boyd and left tackle Jonah Williams as the first players he wanted to build an offense around.

Uzomah had always flown under the radar in a crowded tight end room, but Taylor was the first coach who made him the Bengals’ starting tight end. Before the season, the Bengals gave Uzomahathree-yeardealworth$18million.

His athletic style, versatility in the run game and strong hands as a receiving threat immediately made an impact on the new coaching staff. Uzomah replaced Tyler Eifert as the dynamic receiving threat over the middle of the field who can take advantage of matchups against slower linebackers and smaller safeties.

Boyd, who had 1,028 receiving yards in 2018, was the next move. He signed a contract extension at the start of training camp in 2019, and this was the first sign of how greatly the Bengals would value the wide receiver position.

At the time, the Bengals had A.J. Green, former first-round pick John Ross III and the reliable Auden Tate under contract. By extending Boyd, the Bengals showed that they were willing to allocate more resources to the wide receiver position than most teams.

By the start of the 2020 season, the Bengals were spending $30.9million on wide receivers, which was the thirdhighest total in the league.

The Bengals extended Boyd one year before they contractually needed to because he was a perfect fit for Taylor’s offense. Even though he was overshadowed by Green at the time, Boyd had the separation skills and the athleticism to run a wide variety of routes.

In 2019, the Bengals also found their left tackle and center of the future. Taylor’s first draft pick was Williams, and Williams was on track to be the Week1 starter before a season-ending injury. In thepre-draftprocess,Williamsstressed his athletic playing style and his meticulous preparation, which were the exact skills the Bengals were looking for in a tackle.

Center Trey Hopkins beat out former first-round pick Billy Price in training camp. Hopkins bounced between being a backup and a starter in 2017 and 2018. As a full-time starter in 2019, Hopkins earned a three-year contract extension.

Taylor has called him “the guy that makes things go mentally,” and Hopkins’ quick feet have created space in the middle of the pocket.

Offensive depth chart

Positions

First Second Third

QB Joe Burrow Brandon Allen

HB Joe Mixon Samaje Perine Chris Evans

Trayveon Williams

In

can create yards after the catch. Those skills brought more to the offense than any lineman could have.

The Bengals made a few other moves during the 2021 offseason to fill in the gaps. They made an all-out recruiting push for right tackle Riley Reiff with a dinner hosted by Taylor and Burrow.

WR Tee Higgins Mike Thomas

WR Ja’Marr Chase Trenton Irwin

TE C.J. Uzomah Drew Sample Mitchell Wilcox

LOT Jonah Williams D’Ante Smith

LG Quinton Spain Jackson Carman

C Trey Hopkins Trey Hill

RG Hakeem Adeniji Jackson Carman

ROT Isaiah Prince Fred Johnson

2020 Cincinnati Bengals: Locking up three stars

Leading up to the 2020 NFL Draft, there was never a moment when it didn’t look like Burrow would be the Bengals’ top pick. The Bengals signed free agents that offseason who were looking forward to playing with Burrow, and Burrow spent a lot of the pre-draft process with Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard.

Aside from the quarterback, the Bengals added two of the most important pieces in making Burrow’s success possible.

In the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Bengals Offensive Coordinator Brian Callahan said he had anticipated that the Bengals would add another receiver. Even though there were offensive linemen and linebackers on the board and even though the Bengals already had Boyd and Green, the Bengals saw wide receiver Tee Higgins as a potential No.1 receiver.

Taylor has a saying that it’s harder than you’d expect to find receivers who are physical and can consistently catch the ball. Those skills, plus Higgins’ championship experience and leadership at Clemson, separated Higgins from other second-round receivers like Denzel Mims, Laviska Shenault and Michael Pittman.

The final piece of the 2020 offseason was extending running back Joe Mixon. It was a pivot point for Taylor’s vision for the offense.

Taylor believed so strongly in Mixon’s potential that he eventually redesigned the entire run game around Mixon’s strengths. This season, Mixon is having a career year due to his cutting skills, his opportunity to play in a widezone offense and his significant strides as a receiving threat.

Even though the Bengals’ offense starts with their passing game, Taylor believed in the value of the run game. Mixon rewarded that faith this season by wearing down defensive linemen, creating more chances for the deeppassing game and closing games by getting first downs down the stretch.

2021 Cincinnati Bengals:

A franchise-defining choice

The theme of Taylor’s tenure with the Bengals has been adding wide receivers when it wasn’t absolutely necessary. When the Bengals added Boyd and Higginsin2019and2020,respectively,they had greater needs on the roster but made adding a wide receiver the greatest priority. The clearest example of this vision was drafting wide receiver Ja’Marr ChaseoveroffensivetacklePeneiSewell in the 2021 NFL Draft. If that decision didn’t pay off and turn the Bengals into one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL, then none of the Bengals’ success this season would have taken place.

Taylor and the Bengals’ front office identified Chase as a deep threat, a dynamic route runner and a receiver who

Reiff has been out since December with an ankle injury, but the Bengals filled his spot with Isaiah Prince. He joined the team down the stretch as a waiver claim in December 2019 and opted out in 2020, so he was an unknown entering this year’s training camp.

During camp, Prince was the most consistent backup offensive lineman in one-on-one pass-rush drills versus the defensive line. He outplayed offensive tackle Fred Johnson, and Prince grew from a training camp depth piece into the first offensive tackle off the bench.

LeftguardQuintonSpain,whoinitially joined the Bengals as a practice squad free agent in the middle of the 2020 season, was the other notable free agenttheBengalsaddedtotheoffensive line. He played well enough down the stretch of last season to earn a starting opportunity somewhere in the NFL this year.

After the 2020 season ended, Spain wasn’t even interested in hitting the free-agent market. He approached the Bengals’ coaches and told them how badly he wanted to return for the 2021 season.

“I don’t care what they offer me or whatever,” Spain said about the process.

He returned on a one-year deal that was well below market value for a starting offensive guard. Spain wasn’t promised a starting spot either, and he had to beat out Jackson Carman and Xavier Su’a-Filo for the left guard position.

Spain won the job in training camp, solidifying the final starting spot on the Bengals’ 53-man roster.

“You’ve got to love ball,” Taylor said. “That’s the most important thing you want guys (who love football) because it’s a grind ... We had a draft class where almost every guy was a captain on their collegeteam.SoIthinkthosearejustindicators of the process that we go through, and we ended up finding the guys we want.”

Head coach Zac Taylor believed so strongly in running back Joe Mixon’s potential that he eventually redesigned the entire run game around Mixon’s strengths. In 2021-22, Mixon is having a career season. PHOTOS BY KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

The Bengals extended Tyler Boyd’s contract one year before they contractually needed to because he was a perfect fit for Zac Taylor’s offense. They showed that they were willing to allocate more resources to the wide receiver position.

the pre-draft process, Jonah Williams stressed his athletic playing style and his meticulous preparation, which were the exact skills the Bengals were looking for in a tackle.

TO THE

‘It’s a very subjective business’ Team went against history to build Super Bowl defense

Charlie Goldsmith

LOS ANGELES – Before the Cincinnati Bengals played the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3, Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor had cornerback Mike Hilton address the team. On the night before the game, Hilton opened up about his previous experience playing for the Steelers.

Hilton told everyone about his journey from an undrafted free agent bouncing around practice squads to a starterononeofthebestdefensesinthe

NFL. In 2020, Hilton was the leading turnover-creator on the Steelers’ roster.

But when Hilton hit free agency for the first time, the Steelers didn’t even offer him a contract. It was a relatable message for the entire defense.

“There’s a lot of guys on this team who have been passed on or moved from team to team and whatever, not good opportunities,” Bengals defensive tackle D.J. Reader said. “You know how many free agents we got – the old team didn’t want them. So that’s where we come in and take the attitude with it.”

Among the Bengals’ 11 defensive starters, five players had their previous team move on from them. Two more starters couldn’t earn full-time starting roles before they hit free agency. The two linebackers entered the season in a wide-open competition for the starting spot.

The only remaining players from the Marvin Lewis era were defensive end Sam Hubbard and safety Jessie Bates III, who remain two of the most important players on the defense. But since 2019, Taylor and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo have turned around the rest of the defense with players who have finally reached their full potential in Cincinnati.

Here’s how they built the Bengals defense:

2020 free agency: Signing cultureshifters, franchise-changers

After four years as a starter with the Houston Texans, Reader hit free agency and weighed offers from the Bengals and the Denver Broncos. When Reader was deciding, his agent asked him, “Do you want to bet on (Broncos quarterback) Drew Lock or Joe Burrow?”

Reader bet on Burrow and signed with Cincinnati.

Reader was the Bengals’ first major free-agent addition, and Cincinnati made him the 10th-highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL. In 2019, Taylor and Anarumo learned from losses against the San Francisco 49ers and the Cleveland Browns when the Bengals couldn’t stop the run. They decided to get one of the best run-stoppers in the NFL.

In the Bengals’ second-round win over the Tennessee Titans this playoff season, Taylor said Reader was the team’s “Superman.” While Reader makes his biggest impact against the run,theBengals’versatiledefensiveline wouldn’t work without a nose tackle who can fill multiple gaps in the middle.

One week after the Bengals added Reader, they signed safety Vonn Bell, who had been a starter for the New Orleans Saints for the previous four seasons. Bell had built a reputation as one of the most versatile safeties in the NFL, but then the Saints made a surprising move.

Instead of re-signing Bell, the Saints made free-agent safety Malcolm Jenkins one of the highest-paid safeties in the NFL. By the time the Saints made the move, most of the other NFL teams who needed a safety had added one.

Even though the Bengals already had starter Shawn Williams under contract, Anarumo viewed Bell as the perfect piece for his adaptable, versatile defense. Bell moves more than any other chess piece on the Bengals’ defense. He can play on the line of scrimmage againsttherun,blitzofftheedge,lineup in the middle of the field as a de facto linebacker and play 30 yards off the line of scrimmage as a single-high safety.

2021: Starting something completely new for defense

The conventional approach for the Bengals’ 2021 offseason would have started with re-signing No.1cornerback William Jackson and No.1 edge rusher Carl Lawson. The Bengals went in the

Continued on next page

The only remaining players this season from the Marvin Lewis era are defensive end Sam Hubbard (94) and safety Jessie Bates III (not pictured), who remain two of the most important players on the Bengals’ defense. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

opposite direction, using free agency to fill five starting spots.

Nearly every other great Bengals team had been built through the NFL Draft. While the 2021 Bengals found linebackers Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt in that way, they made some of the most aggressive moves in team history to add to the defense in free agency.

Defensive end Trey Hendrickson was one of the most controversial signings oftheoffseason.Whilehehad13.5sacks in 2020 with the New Orleans Saints, Hendrickson benefited from playing with one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. In New Orleans, Hendrickson was a rotational player who had accumulated most of his sacks on a play where a teammate created the initial pressure.

Then Hendrickson signed a contract with the Bengals that made him one of the 10 highest-paid edge rushers in the NFL.

He became a Pro Bowler who had one of the best single seasons as a pass rusher in franchise history. He finished the regular season with 14 sacks and added 2.5 more in the playoffs. When opposing teams game plan against the Bengals, it usually starts with a passprotection plan against Hendrickson.

The Bengals found their No.1cornerback in Chidobe Awuzie, who lost his starting spot with the Dallas Cowboys due to injuries last season. The Bengals signed him to a modest three-year contract and watched Awuzie develop into one of the most reliable cornerbacks in the AFC this season.

Hilton immediately brought a dynamic presence in the slot as a standout blitzer and one of the league’s best defenders in man defense against slot receivers. Cornerback Eli Apple entered the year as one of the NFL’s most inconsistent cornerbacks, but he had a strong relationship with Anarumo from their shared time with the New York Giants in 2018.

Bell, a close friend of Apple’s from Ohio State University, also helped in recruiting Apple to Cincinnati. Anarumo valued Apple’s first-round pedigree and his athletic skill set, and he said he wasn’t ready to “give up on” Apple’s career.

Apple was a starter for the entire season, and he made two of the biggest

Defensive end Trey Hendrickson was one of the most controversial signings of the offseason. While he had 13.5 sacks in 2020 with New Orleans, he benefited from playing with one of the NFL’s best defensive lines.

Defensive depth chart

Position First Second Third

LDE Sam Hubbard Cam Sample Wyatt Ray

NT D.J. Reader Jos Tupou

DT B.J. Hill Tylere Shelvin Zach Kerr

RDE Trey Hendrickson Khalid Kareem

LB Logan Wilson Clay Johnston Keandre Jones

LB Germaine Pratt Markus Bailey

NCB Mike Hilton Jalen Davis

CB Chidobe Awuzie Trae Waynes Vernon Hargreaves III

CB Eli Apple Tre Flowers

S Vonn Bell Michael Thomas

S Jessie Bates III Ricardo Allen

plays of the game in the Bengals’ second- and third-round playoff wins.

During the 2021 season: Finding help out of nowhere

The Bengals wouldn’t have made the Super Bowl without waiver claims and midseason additions who have made game-saving plays in the postseason.

Fewer than two weeks before the start of the season, the Giants told de-

fensive tackle B.J. Hill that they planned to trade him without giving him a destination. The following day, he learned that the Bengals had traded backup center Billy Price for him.

Hill recorded two sacks in his debut with Cincinnati. He’s one of the most versatile defensive linemen on the roster, setting a strong edge against the run and pressuring the quarterback at defensive tackle. When defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi suffered a season-end-

ing injury, Hill stepped right into the starting spot.

Waiver claim Tre Flowers became the Bengals’ tight end stopper. Linebacker Clay Johnston tackled Titans running back Derrick Henry on a failed twopoint conversion attempt. In the AFC ChampionshipgameagainsttheKansas City Chiefs, the Bengals’ coaches trusted backup safety Mike Thomas to play a few snaps of single-high coverage, which freed Bell and Bates to make plays in the middle of the field.

Defensive tackles Zach Kerr and Damion Square joined the Bengals in the postseason and became two of the team’s first defensive linemen off the bench.

Since 2019, Taylor and Anarumo set the tone that they were looking for players with high football IQ, versatility and athleticism. As a final product, the Bengals’ defense is a combination of players that the Bengals believed in more than any other franchise.

“It’s a great collaborative effort by a lot of people,” Anarumo said. “It’s a very subjective business when it comes to player evaluations. We were in line on all these guys and we were able to get the guys we wanted, and we felt like we added players who could do multiple things.”

ALBERT CESARE/THE ENQUIRER

The Giants told defensive tackle B.J. Hill (92) they planned to trade him. The next day, he learned the Bengals had traded backup center Billy Price for him. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

Top passing offenses set to collide

and Rams. In that group of 11 teams, the teams with the above-average quarterbacks represent most of the NFL’s premier offenses.

Onthenightofthe2021NFLDraft,the Cincinnati Bengals had the opportunity to select wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase or offensive tackle Penei Sewell.

This was the debate that defined draft season. Scouts and player-personnel staff across the NFL were split on the decision. But to Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor and the front office, the clear choice was drafting Chase and adding a potential star wide receiver.

On Nov.12, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. hit the free-agent market after a rocky finish to his tenure with the Cleveland Browns. When Beckham Jr. was a free agent, there were NFL teams who weren’t interested because of the way his time with the Browns ended.

But the Los Angeles Rams’ front office believed otherwise. Right before Beckham signed with the Rams, head coach Sean McVay couldn’t keep a poker face during his press conference and grinned theentireway.TheBengalsandtheRams both built a Super Bowl roster by making an aggressive move to add a No.1-caliber widereceiver.It’soneofthegreatestsimilarities between the two teams.

“Everyone has different philosophies on how to build a team and run an offense,” Bengals Offensive Coordinator Brian Callahan said. “We don’t have a fullback. We use our tight ends in a little bit of a hybrid role, but for the most part we’re a three-wide-receiver offense. If youhavethreewidereceiversthatpeople have to cover, it’s going to be hard for them.”

Heading into the 2021NFL Draft, Callahan often brought up his experience coachingtheDenverBroncosinthe2010s when Peyton Manning was the quarterback. That team had one of the best wide receiver trios of the decade between Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and Wes Welker.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has often been compared to Manning, and Callahan and Taylor agreed about taking the same approach with the Bengals’ offense.

“In key moments in playoff games, they’d get man coverage and Peyton

The Bengals and the Rams both built a Super Bowl roster by making an aggressive move to add a No.1-caliber wide receiver. It’s one of the greatest similarities between the two teams.

would pick the one who’s got the best matchup and trust that he was going to win,” Taylor said. “We think when we’ve got the weapons that we now have, it puts a lot of pressure on the defense. It takes the pressure off of Joe Burrow.”

Statistically, there aren’t many NFL teams that have invested more in wide receivers than the Bengals and the Rams have.

Last season, the Rams signed wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods to contract extensions worth more than $16million per year. Entering the season, the Rams had two No.1-caliber wide receivers on top-flight contracts. When Woods suffered a season-ending knee injury, the Rams added another star in Beckham Jr. to fill Woods’ role in the offense.

On top of those three players, the Ramshavealsousedsecond-roundpicks on wide receivers in each of the past two NFL drafts. While Tutu Atwell suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, Van Jefferson ranks second on the Rams with 802 receiving yards.

The Bengals used a No.5 draft pick on Chase, used a No.33 draft pick on wide receiver Tee Higgins and paid wide receiver Tyler Boyd top-25 money at his position. Both teams are walking proof

that a great wide receiver group plus a good quarterback is a repeatable path to a successful offense.

“Our biggest philosophy is (that) you want guys that can score touchdowns because you have to score points to win in today’s NFL,” Callahan said. “Quarterbacks have to have targets to throw to, guys that can win and separate on all levels on the defense. We’ve got three guys that can do that; so, obviously, do the Rams.”

The Bengals are one of five NFL teams with two young receivers who were picked in the top two rounds plus a receiver making top-25 money at his position. In that group, the Bengals are joined by the Jets, Panthers, Rams and Cardinals. This season, the Jets’ and the Panthers’ offenses were held back by inconsistent young quarterbacks. But the Bengals,RamsandCardinalshadthreeofthe most explosive offenses in the NFL.

Most of the other best offenses in the NFL built their wide receiver groups through contract extensions and free agency.

According to Over the Cap, the following teams spent at least $20 million on wide receivers this season: the Dolphins, Chargers, Cowboys, Jets, Buccaneers, Packers, Bears, Cardinals, Bills, Bengals

Once Kupp and Woods’ extensions fully kick in for the 2022 season, then the Rams will be paying the second-most money in the NFL to wide receivers. Chase and Higgins are on track to make top-of-the-league money when they’re able to hit the open market.

It’ll be worth the price for both teams.

Without these receivers, the Bengals and Rams both wouldn’t have made it this far in the playoffs. Some of the most important plays of their postseason wins wouldn’t have happened.

In the second round of the playoffs, the Tennessee Titans double-teamed Chase for nearly the entire second half. The Bengals set up their lone touchdown drive of the game with first-down throws from Burrow to Higgins and tight end C.J. Uzomah, who were both left open.

WhentheBengalsneededafirstdown in the final minute to set up a game-winning field goal, Chase beat a Titans double-team for the first-down catch, and Boyd and Higgins were also both wide open on the play. When the Kansas City Chiefs played Chase the same way, Higgins led the Bengals with 103 receiving yards. In the fourth quarter and in overtime,Higginsmadethecatchthatputthe Bengals in field-goal range with a crossing route over the middle where he took advantage of single coverage.

“We’re all unselfish players, and we know what ability we all have,” Boyd said. “There’s no way teams can double all of us. If they take away one guy, the rest of us will make plays.”

It’s been the same story for the Rams’ offense in the playoffs.

In the NFC Championship Game, Kupp and Beckham Jr. both had 100 receiving yards. Kupp beat single coverage twice for two toe-tap touchdown catches. Beckham Jr. feasted on crossing routes over the middle and comeback routes down the sideline when the San Francisco 49ers’ defense shaded toward Kupp’s side of the field.

With the Bengals and Rams both winninglastweek,theycreatedaSuperBowl matchup between arguably the two best wide receiver groups in the NFL.

Charlie Goldsmith

The Cincinnati Bengals used a No.5 NFL Draft pick on wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase this past offseason.

ALBERT CESARE/THE ENQUIRER

Former free agent and current Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. had 113 yards in the NFC Championship. KIRBY LEE/USA TODAY SPORTS

FifthThird and theBengals are Better Together.

QB Stafford is ‘as good as they come’

Bengals OC Callahan coached him in Detroit

Kelsey Conway

If there’s one member of the Cincinnati Bengals’ coaching staff who knows what to expect from Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in Super Bowl 56, it’s offensive coordinator Brian Callahan.

For two seasons in Detroit, Callahan served as the Lions’ quarterbacks coach working directly with Stafford. The Rams traded for Stafford at the end of January in 2021, sending former quarterback Jared Goff and two first-round picks to Detroit in exchange for Stafford.

During Callahan’s time as Stafford’s position coach in 2016-17, the former No.1 overall pick completed 759 of his passes and threw for over 4,000 yards in each season. The Lions also finished 9-7 each season Callahan worked with Stafford.

“I really enjoyed working with Matthew,”CallahansaidofStafford.“Hewas a lot of fun to be around, to work with and coach. He’s a great player. He was really, really a fine player for the two years I was there. He was excellent before I got there, and he’s been excellent since, so I think he’s really cemented himself as one of the premier quarterbacks in the NFL. He’s a phenomenal worker. I’ve got nothing but the utmost respect for Matthew.”

When the Rams traded for Stafford, head coach Sean McVay hoped he could take his offense from good to great. McVay is known for being one of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL, andStaffordcanmakeanytypeofthrow. Stafford asked the Lions for a trade after spending 12 years in Detroit and didn’t want to go through another rebuild. As the Rams have showed over the past few years, if they want a player bad enough, they’ll make it happen no matter what they must give up.

Stafford, in his first season in Los Angeles, led the Rams to a12-5 record in the regular season. He threw for the thirdmost yards this season (4,886) behind

What they did together

In the 2016 and ’17 seasons, here’s what Brian Callahan did to help Matthew Stafford achieve with the Detroit Lions:

9-7 records both seasons

65.5% completed pass percentage

20 interceptions over the two seasons

53 passing touchdowns

TomBradyandJustinHerbertandthrew 41touchdowns,second-mostintheNFL.

“I love the guy,” Callahan said. “I think he’s one of the toughest competitors out there, and we’ve got our hands full with that offense. They’re really good with

him at the trigger. So, looking forward to playing against him and competing against him, but he’s a warrior. He’s as good as they come.”

The Rams and Bengals finished the regularseasonrankedNo.7intheleague in scoring, averaging 27.1 points per game.

As much as Stafford has lifted the Rams, Callahan’s role in the improvement of Cincinnati’s offense can’t be overstated. Since taking the role as offensive coordinator for the Bengals in 2019 working directly with head coach Zac Taylor, Callahan has made a huge impact, so much so he earned his first head-coaching interview. The Denver BroncosrequestedtointerviewCallahan for their vacant job before ultimately choosing Nathaniel Hackett from the

Green Bay Packers.

Callahan likely shared a few thoughts with Bengals Defensive Coordinator Lou Anarumo this week on suggestions for how to deal with Stafford. And although the game plan won’t be rolled out until Sunday afternoon as far as what Anarumo’s defense will come out with, Stafford is expecting to see a lot of different looks from the Bengals.

They are a really talented group on the back end really all across the defense when you look at them, got good pass rushers, good guys on the second level and then in the back end they do a nice job of route recognition, concept recognition and taking educated guesses and chances,” Stafford said. “They are very multiple, it’s a lot to see as a quarterback.”

For two seasons in Detroit, Brian Callahan served as the Lions’ quarterbacks coach working directly with Matthew Stafford.

The Los Angeles Rams traded for Stafford at the end of January in 2021. MARK J. TERRILL/ASSOCIATED PRESS

PHOTOS BY KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER AND ELAINE THOMPSON/AP

How

PHOTOS BY KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER AND JAE C. HONG/AP

Week 5 vs. Green Bay Packers

Context: The Packers, favored by many to win the NFC, and their explosive offense presented the hardest challenge of the year to the Bengals’ defense.

What happened: A back-and-forth battle led to overtime thanks to both kickers missing field goals. Eventually, the Packers won, 25-22.

What it meant: The Bengals weren’t outclassed in any phase of the game and showed they could hang with one of the league’s top teams. At 3-2, the Bengals were still well ahead of what many predicted for the team.

teamTheUniversityofCincinnatifootball programnowhasthehighestrankingin history. toTheBearcats(5-0)climbedtwospots TopNo.3inthelatestAssociatedPress 25pollreleasedSundayafteropeningAmericanAthleticConferenceplay witha52-3winoverTempleonFriday nightatNippertStadium. rankingCincinnati’spreviousschool-record achievedwasNo.4,whichtheBearcats Cincinnatitwiceduringthe2009season. went12-0thatyearunder then-headcoachBrianKellybeforelosingtoFloridaintheSugarBowl. Interim head coach Jeff Quinn coachedtheBearcatsagainstTimTebowandtheGators,asKellyleftCincinnatitotakeovertheNotreDameprogramonDec.10.2009. ly,QuinnisnowanassistantunderKelline.leadingtheFightingIrishoffensive twoLukeFickell’sBearcatsalsoclimbed DAYspotstoNo.4inthelatestUSATOleasedSportsAFCAcoachespollalsoreSunday. previouslyCincinnatibenefitedfromlossesby top-rankedAlabamaatTex- asA&M then-No.4PennState’slossatNo.3IowaonSaturday. Fifth-year senior quarterback DesmondRidderthrewfor259yardswith threetouchdownswhilecompleting22 of30passesFridaynightagainstTemple. whereItwasthesecondgameoftheseason touchdowns.Ridderhadthreeormorepassing The other came in the home-openeragainstMiamiUniversity. Ridderthrewforfourscoresinthe49-14 victoryovertheRedHawks. about“CoachFicktalkedearlierintheweek makingsurewecomeouthere, startfastandreallyfinishthewhole gameandstayconsistentthrough.Ifeel likewedidagreatjobofdoingthat,” Riddersaid.“Itfeelsgoodwhenyouplay good.” stonesRidderalsoreachedtwocareermileduringthegame:8,000passing yards(8,209)and10,000yardsoftotal offense(10,138). againRidderandtheBearcatswillbehome onSaturday,astheyfaceAACfoeUCF.Kickoff scheduledfornoonon Cincinnati has won 23 straight gamesatNippert,eightstraightgames against AAC opponents and is 21-3 (.875)inthepastthreeyearsagainst AACfoes,thebestmarkintheconference.

SPORTS

BENGALS34,LIONS11

JoeBurrowgotclobberedonaruninthesecondquarterandwascheckedoutinthemedicaltent.Hereturnedtofinish thegame,butwassenttothehospitalafterthegameforapossiblethroatcontusion.

ENQUIRERPHOTOS/KAREEMELGAZZAR

ACRAZYGAMEAND ONEPAINFULENDING

During training camp, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was havingaconversationwithGreenBay PackersheadcoachMattLaFleur. The two coaches became friends whentheyworkedtogetherwiththe LosAngelesRams,andtheywerestill abouttwomonthsawayfromcoaching againsteachotherforthefirsttime.At thetime,itwasn’tclearyetwhetheror notPackersquarterbackAaronRodgerswouldplayfortheteamthisseason. quarterback,’”“‘Isawwhatwasgoingonwithyour TaylorsaidhetoldLaFleur,“‘AndIwashopingbyWeek5, maybehewouldn’tbethere.’” Rodgers was there on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium, and Bengals quarterbackJoeBurrowmatchedone ofthebestquarterbacksintheleague withhisperformance.Theybothwere goodenoughtoputtheirteamsinpositiontowin.Dueto missedkicks thatcouldhavewonthegame,both teamshadmultiplechancestodoit. RodgersledthePackerstoa25-22

CharlieGoldsmith CincinnatiEnquirer USA BENGALS Page3B

wininovertimeovertheBengals(3-2) infrontofacrowdof64,195.Aftera missed49-yardkickbyBengalsrookie EvanMcPherson,thePackersgotthe ballwith minutesleftinovertime. Rodgersmadea20-yardthrowtotight end Marcedes Lewis and a 15-yard throwtoRandallCobb. Packers kicker Mason Crosby missedhis threechances win athegame,buthemadehislastonewith 49-yardgame-winningkick. “We expected to win this game,” Taylorsaid.“Wedidn’tneedamoral victorytoshowuswe’recapableof beatinggreatteamsinthisleague.We justwanttowinthem.” theRodgers,the2020NFLMVP,hasled pionshipPackerstoconsecutiveNFCChamGames.WithanotherstandoutgameonSunday,hetookawaythe Bengalsopportunitytomakeastatementintheplayoffrace.A4-1record wouldhavesolidifiedtheBengalsas contendersforaWildCardspot,but theircomebackattemptfellshort. this“Theonlypositivewecantakefrom istheeffortwegave,”Bengalswide

PackerskickerMasonCrosbymissed anextrapointandthreefieldgoals beforefinallykickingthe game-winnerinovertimeofthe Packers’25-22victory.

Lorenzenfacinguncertaintywithfreeagency

FCCincinnati Changesintheteam’sheirarchyhaven’thelped suffered shutoutofthe seasonSaturdaynightatTQLStadium,

PaulDaugherty Columnist Enquirer

Areyou readyto

JoeBurrowusedhislegsand Sunday.Herushedfourtimesfor20yardsandcompleted18 29passesfor271yards, threetouchdownsandoneinterception.TheBengalsimprovedto4-2.ENQUIRER GREENE

BUSINESSHASBEEN TAKENCAREOF

Afteraslowstart,Bengalsrunaway fromLionsaheadofRavensshowdown Charlie Enquirer

DETROIT

When the Cincinnati Bengalswentover20minutesofgame withoutafirstdown hadanotherthird-and-long,quarterbackJoe Burrowthrewa34-yardpassdownthe rightsidelinetowidereceiverJa’Marr Chase.IntheBengalslastchancetoscore beforehalftime,Burrowmadethebet thatChasecouldgetopenandputthe teaminfieldgoalrange.Chasemadeit work,andtheBengalstookadoubledigitleadintohalftime.TheBengals(4-2)beattheLions,3411,onSundayatFordField.Asidefrom Burrow,noonehasplayedabiggerrole in Cincinnati’s winning record than Chase.“Ja’Marrjustkeepsbeingthatspark forus,”Burrowsaid.“Hekeepsfinding theseopportunities.Whenwehavea guylikethatandwhenwehavetheconnectionwehave,youcan’tfallasleepon defense.”WhentheBengalspickedChasein

TheBengalstookovertheballwhen linebackerLoganWilsonwrestledthe ballaway passinthefirstquarter.ItwasWilson’sfourthinterception.

the2021NFLDraft,theytookthechance thatawide whocanstretch fieldcouldmakeabiggerdifferencethan astartingoffensivelineman.OnSunday,theBengalsoffensivelinemade someofitsworstplaysoftheyear,and theirstartingrightguardwasbenched inthe half.

TheUniversityofCincinnatifootball inthemiddle mostsuccessfulstretchinprogramhistory,and onSunday,UCheadcoachLukeFickell andtheBearcatssoaredevenhigher into air. Cincinnati(6-0,2-0AmericanAthleticConference)advancedonespotto thelatestAssociatedPressTop 25pollafterroutingAACrivalUCF56-21 SaturdayatNippertStadium. TheNo.2APrankingisthehighest fortheBearcatsinthehistoryofthepoll. TheAPbeganitscollegefootballpollon

goall inonce again?

Asaresult,afterBurrowopenedthe gamewitha24-yardtouchdownthrow torunningbackChrisEvans,theBengalsgotjustonefirstdownontheir next drives.Burrow anotherdeeppasstoChasebeforehalftime, andChasecreatedenoughseparation contestedfirstdowncatchatthe 26-yardline.“IfeellikeIam(meetingmyexpectations),” Chase said. “Of course there’smoreworktodo.I’mjusttrying tomakeittotheplayoffsandsucceed fromthere.”TheBengalstooka10-0leadathalftime,andthenChaseplayedaroleon thetouchdown halftime.On and-inches from the Lions 40-yard line,Burrowthrewaplay-actionpass torunningbackJoeMixon. Twoblocks ChaseturnedMixon’s reception into a touchdown. WhileMixonwasrunningdownthe rightsideline,ChasesealedoffLions cornerbackJerryJacobs.ThenChase leveledLionssafetyWillHarriswitha blockusinghisshoulder,whichallowedMixon theend-zone. toldhimafter notalotof top-5pickreceiversdothat,”Burrow said.“That’sthekindofguythatheis. HegotJoe(Mixon)intheendzone,

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19,1936. Cincinnati,whichis37-6overthelast fourseasons,alsoclimbedonespotto No.3inthe TODAYSports AFCAcoachespoll releasedSunday.“Thisisafarcryfromwherewewere fiveyearsago,”Fickellsaidfollowing Saturday’swin.Saturday’svictory,thethirdstraight forUCagainsttheKnights,wasyetanotherindicatorofthegrowthoftheCincinnatiprogram.Fickell’sBearcatslostto 51-23 duringthe2017season,Fickell’sfirstat UC.OnSaturday,theyflippedthescore

DETROIT–Theproblemwithbeing optimisticabouttheCincinnatiBengalsistheysmashyourheart.You lovethem.You tomake thatcommitmentagain.Theriskis worththereward,evenwhenitisn’t. Sosoonerorlater,you’relisteningto yourheartandlookinglikethejilted schmuckattheendofaHollywood movie, standing in the rain. Every Whataboutnow? The heart wants what it EvenwhenforyouValentine’sDayis nevermorethanacrueljoke.Faithis somethingtobelieveinwhencommon sensetellsyounotto.Areyoufaithful? It’stemptingagain,isn’tit?CincinnatiwonitsfourthgameSunday,as manyasitwonalllastseason.Ittook theBengalsalmostanentirehalfto realizeagamewasoccurringandthey wereinvited,butoncetheyfiguredit out,thegameended.Thisiswhatgood teamsdo.TheBengalswentontheroadand dominatedanopponent.Yes,theLionsarebadandbeatenup.Theywere badbeforetheywerebeatenup.Ifyou wanttoknowwhothe2021Lionsare, thinkLostDecade:TheSequel.Their offenseneeded minutesandthree possessionsjusttomakeafirstdown. Forawhile,theLionsoffensehadtroubleevenstartingplays.I’llseeyour FalseStartandraiseyou Delayof Game. (Imagine a sportswriter covering theBengalsmakingfunofsomeother town’sfootballteam.Ifyoulivelong enough .) But Cincinnati’s 2nd-half dominancewasimpressivebyanydefinition. five minutes 3rd

PITTSBURGH Michael Lorenzen putinthework,foughtthroughinjuries andhewasleftwithdisappointment whenhewasn’trewardedforit. shoulderHerehabbedforthreemonthsfroma portunitystrain,whichruinedhisoptobeastartingpitcher.He sufferedagrade3hamstringstrainand returnedin11days. theOneofthemostathleticplayersin butleaguepushedhisbodytothelimit, playoffs.theCincinnatiRedsfellshortofthe reer-highLorenzenfinishedwithaca5.59ERAacross27appearancesandthesecond-loweststrikeout rateof career. neyNowhe’spreparingforhisfirstjouroutthroughfreeagency.Hehasn’truled areturn theReds–“someonetold menevertocloseanydoors,”hesaid–butheseemslikelytoendupelsewhere nextyear.

Week 6 at Detroit Lions

Context: The NFC North portion of the schedule wrapped up at Ford Field against the Lions. The Bengals needed the win to split the four games against their NFC counterparts.

just“Man,alotofupsandalotofdowns, LorenzenlikemysevenyearsinCincinnati,” said his2021season. happy with how I’m able to bounce back,gooutthere,competeandtryto givetheteamthebestthatIcanwhetherIwas ornot. “You hope when you do the right thingsthatitwouldpayyouback,but that’snothowlifeworks.Youcan ashardasyoucan.Youcanmakecertainsacrificesandputyourbodyonthe line.Youwouldassumethingsshould gomywayifI’mgoingtodothat.LikeI said,it’slife.” ary,Lorenzen,whowillturn30inJanudebutinjuredhishamstringinhisseason whenhescoredthegame-tying runonasacrificeflyinthe10thinning. Whenhelimpedtothetrainingroom,he thoughthisseasonwasover.Afewdays afterward,onecoachsaidhewasimpressedLorenzenwaswalking,letalone preparingtoreturntothemoundthe

What happened: The Bengals dominated all three phases of the game, and Joe Burrow gave way to backup quarterback Brandon Allen in the fourth quarter of the 34-11 victory.

What it meant: This was the most complete game the Bengals played to this point of the season, and they put away a team that nearly beat division foe Baltimore.

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askedifhis aheadof schedule, Taylorsaid,hewas surprisedthat“(team)chemistryhas takenplacethisquickly.That(was) expectedbutimpossibletopredict.’’ SAMGREENE/THE

Streaking’Catsareatall-timehighinAPpollatNo.2

Bengals’ season in review is continued on page 18B.

“Someunluckythingshappenedandthingsthatareoutofyourcontrol,”Michael Lorenzensaidofhisseason.“Itcanbefrustrating,butyoujusthavetokeep

Can we forgive and embrace Bengals fans who left the flock?

Thebacksliderscouldusealittleabsolution.

Theydeserted,theystrayed.Unableto maintain a noble suffering, they left the flock. Now, humbled and guilty, they appear on bended knee. Forgive me, Father, for I have lapsed.

You know who I mean. You could be who I mean.

Maybe you’re this guy: Scott Goller, a social media friend, who last week used the universal confessional – his Facebook feed – to plea for forgiveness.

I, Scott Goller, committed the cardinal sin in sports. I gave up, jumped off the train, jumped off the bandwagon, if you will, and left one of my favorite teams in the dust when times got tough. I was in a darkplace.ABengalslosswouldleaveme ticked off for the rest of the week and it justwasn’tworthit.SonowthattheBengals,whoIlostallfaithin,aregoingtothe promised land, I beg and I plead to you, Bengals nation, to have me back. I ask forgiveness in all things Bengals to let me rejoin and ride this crazy train.

Yeah?

Last week, with righteous and furious anger, the Cincinnati Bengals smote the heathen(andhighlyfavored)KansasCity Chiefs, advancing to the Super Bowl and sparking the local Who Dey congregation to joyfully and spontaneously combust. And provoking more than a little guilt from the non-believers who now want backin.ScottGollersays,pleasedon’texcommunicate me.

So? Thisisseriousbusiness.Youthinkyou can just waltz back in like nothing ever happened? You think you can ignore the fact that while true fans spent time and money walking the wilderness for 30 years, you were out raking leaves?

Do you think you’re ... special?!?

Tough call.

Another recidivist I know asking for parole explained it this way:

“I’m in a moral quandary (a place I think many Cincinnatians are). Can I now support a team I laughed at for the better part of 20 years? Probably overthinking this, but I keep seeing all these fans who say, ‘I never lost faith.’”

Truly a dilemma to be solved by a man of the cloth, who also loves the Bengals. And it should be noted, never lost his faith. Not even during the Lost Decade of the 1990s, filled as it was with serpents, snakes, locusts and Mike Brown.

FatherJamieWeberisthepastorofSt. Cecelia Catholic Church in Oakley. He graduated from Elder High School in 1983. His ancestors owned a brewery Downtown. He owns a painting of a Ben-

“We take you back, but there’s gotta be some penance.”

gal tiger, created by Greg Cook, the late Cincinnati quarterback. Just last week, Fr. Weber delivered a sermon invoking the name of Joe Burrow, an instant deity of a different sort around here. “He changed the narrative for Bengals fans,” explained Fr. Weber. “Just as Jesus changed the narrative.”

Father Weber qualifies. I asked him what he’d do for (or to) the lapsers, the doubters, the dis-loyalists, those who once jumped from the chariot and now want another ride.

Fr. Weber gave it serious thought, for this was a dire matter.

Personally, I have no problem with bandwagon/fair-weather fans. Their absence can provoke change. Accepting losing from your teams because they’re your teams” doesn’t make you a Good Fan. It makes you part of the problem.

Loyalty isn’t bestowed. It’s earned. Trust is not a given.

But we digress. Father?

As the church would say, ‘Welcome back.’ We talk about the prodigal son. People walked away from the Bengals. Now they’ve come back. The world changes,” Fr. Weber said.

Lethewithoutsincastthefirststone... (John 8:7)

Then Fr. Weber added, “We take you back, but there’s gotta be some penance. Did you give your tickets away to Browns orSteelersfans?Therehasgottobesome retribution.”

Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. (Romans 12:19)

It must be said, in the name of honesty, not blasphemy, that Fr. Weber lived for many years on the West Side, before emigrating East. Talk about leaving the flock. “Who does that?” he asked, laughing. But he is not without empathy. He understandsthemindofafootballfan.In the mid-2000s, when the Bengals returned to respectability and enthusiasm peaked (until now), Fr. Weber permitted congregants to display their football passions at Mass.

At the end of services in the fall of 2005, it wasn’t unusual for worshippers to exit yelling the Who Dey chant. “We had Browns fans doing the Dawg Pound thing.” Barking. At Mass. And they say football isn’t a religion.

“Steelers fans brought their Terrible Towels,” Fr. Weber said. “It kinda got carried away.”

This season, he spent Sunday afternoons at Animations, a bar down the street from St. Cecilia’s, enjoying the fellowship of other Bengals fans, communing over a gathering dream. “Strangers,” he mused, “hugging each other.”

So, what about Brother Scott?

Father Weber dons an orange windbreaker with the words “Burger Beer Backs the Bengals” imprinted across the front.Allisforgiven,heconcludes,before adding quickly, “He better not take my seat at Animations.”

“They deserted, they strayed. Unable to maintain a noble suffering, they left the flock. Now, humbled and guilty, they appear on bended knee.

Forgive

me, Father, for I have lapsed. You know who I mean. You could be who I mean,” writes Enquirer

Sports columnist Paul Daugherty. SAM GREENE/ENQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Rev. Father Jamie Weber of St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Oakley poses with a painting created by former Cincinnati Bengals and University of Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Greg Cook. PAUL DAUGHERTY/THE ENQUIRER

Father Jamie Weber Pastor of St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Oakley, on former Bengals fans returning to the flock

LOOK THE OTHER WAY

liever.”

The Cincinnati Bengals are disrespected, or so I keep reading.

Week after week, the Bengals advance in the players and so does the mistreatment, or so some of you will post.

You see slight, and so you feel it. You echo what Bengals nose tackle. D.J. Reader said during the playoffs.

It is real?

I flash back to my editor days, when players and coaches often channeled Rodney Dangerfield and say they got no respect. I appreciated when reporters looked at whether that was true – and why. Sometimes, there was good reason for the rest of us to be dubious, and sometimes there was great storytelling in showing what went right.

If players felt unfairly disrespected, they could use that for motivation. If it energizes you, use it. This is primarily emotion, and every fan has the right to get worked up a little bit. And why not? We can see our team on the side of good, anyone who gets in the way as the villain and anyone who disagrees as disrespectful. If that thickens the plot and enhances the fun, go for it.

Be advised, a shoulder chip for a fan does not come with a warning label. Negative feelings are more powerful than positive ones and can kidnap your Super Bowl feel-good. If you know it, you can counter it. Knowledge empowers. Are there other ways to look at it? Are the Bengals really being snubbed? How much? By whom? How much does it matter? How much do you want it to matter?

Let’s look at some of the playoff disrespect you described to me on Twitter: Stop ignoring the Bengals before games

DISRESPECT: “General tones of commentators, saying we are out of things before we even get in, such as with KC,” @CausticGemini1 tweeted. “Before the game even happened, sports media gen (eral) themes were ‘oh they had a good runbut..’andthenwouldtalkabouthow amazing PM (Patrick Mahomes) was and who he might face in the SB.”

ANOTHERTAKE: “Honestly, I kind of get it because I love the Bengals and know this team inside and out,” @Reddawgs2012 tweeted, “but it was only after the Titans win that I was truly a be-

MY TAKE: No matter how much we laud the Bengals’ turnaround from 2-14 and 4-11-1, they started the season 7-6 before surging at the end. What if the rest of the nation needed more convincing than the wild, playoff-clinching victory over Kansas City? What if BengalsRaiders in the playoffs was a blip to the NFL world, considering their recent pasts, even if this win changed your lives? What if the reprogramming outside Bengal Land will take time?

Stop ignoring the Bengals after wins

DISRESPECT: “Listened to the move the sticks podcast where they reviewed the champ game,” @IrelandsWhodey tweeted. “Straight out the gate its what happened (to) the Chiefs and Mahomes. It’s as if we don’t beat teams, that they simply beat themselves.”

ANOTHER TAKE: “Can only assume it’s because Bengals can beat good teams and will (capitalize) on mistakes,” @weedode tweeted. “Plus Bengals have not been great for many years, so going to take some getting used to for these media folks.”

MY TAKE: The Titans were the top seed, good-but-not-great quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw three interceptions, and Tennessee lost – how surprising is it that this was the prime focus? The Chiefs were two-time AFC champions, with arguably the NFL’s most electrifying quarterback – how shocking is it that the initial onus was on Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes?

Yes, this stinks if you are a Bengals fan. Yes, you wanted your team properly credited. These were huge and wellearned wins. If you weren’t a Bengals fan, what would you see at first?

Stop looking at it as a fluke

DISRESPECT: “The ringer especially, Warren sharp, Steven Ruiz, Ben solack, I like them all a lot but they have just been doubting the bengals the entire season,”@drewskki1tweeted.“IE,every game we win, it was due to luck or the other coaching staff not doing the right thing. Defense is overrated, all pre game coverage is just ‘Joe burrow is going to get sacked 15 times.’ They give about as little credit as is possible to a team that made the super bowl.”

ANOTHER TAKE: “Why would we be respected?” @MikeCan85220453 tweeted. “We have one 2 playoff games in 31 years. We need to claim the prize and all the haters will magically go away.”

MY TAKE: Some of you pointed out that not everyone in the national media treats the Bengals the same way. It might help you to remember that. Why focus on those who annoy you? You can question their motivation or take their opinions as just that. Also ... what if the hype machine of Super Bowl Week changes the narrative? What if the love starts to blossom for the Bengals? What if Joe Burrow becomes a media darling? Stop making us such underdogs

DISRESPECT: “(A) -4 opening line, being disrespected by everyone (from oddsmakers to betting public to talking heads),” tweeted @trevormansker of Northwest Arkansas. “What I’m hearing on the radio and from most everyone I talked to, is the majority of people want us to win, but don’t think we can. Same storyI’veheardforthe32yearsI’vebeen a Bengals fan, just louder.”

ANOTHER TAKE: “The line for SB give the rams 4.5 so home field adv. which means Vegas is terrified,” @BrandonMMurphy tweeted. “(I’m) staying away from the SB. The odds are so evenly matched.”

MY TAKE: What does it say that @BrandonMMurphy respects the spread? He had accused oddsmakers of disrespectingtheBengalsas7-pointunderdogs for the AFC title game and won his bet. “Bought AFC champ merchandise and the black and orange super bowl jerseys. Lol,” he tweeted. What does it say that a Houston furniturestore owner bet $4.5 million on the Bengals, at plus-170 odds, hoping to net $7 million? OK, it is part of a store promotion offering customers up to $3,000 rebates, but guess which team they will be supporting? You can’t have too many Bengals fans for the Super Bowl, right? Stop the cheap, small-market narrative

DISRESPECT: “80% of the sports media are talking about not having a practice bubble, Mike Brown, & (limiting) take home gatorade,” @TFatbeard tweeted.

ANOTHER TAKE: “The broadcasters and commentators and coaches ... remember the 90s Bengals,” @EdwardEmerling tweeted. “They think it’s still fun to pick on the team. Small market team in a midwestern town just outside the rust belt and bordered with Kentucky.”

MY TAKE: Owner Mike Brown’s business model and spending habits will be a topic of conversation, and not just his return to the Super Bowl If you know it is coming, why fight it? So is the idea that Who Dey Nation is centered in Whoville. What if you look at how some of the NFL’s other small-market teams are faring? “The Bills, Bengals, Chiefs

and Titans form the smallest average media market size of any conference’s final four since the1970 AFL-NFL merger,” Axios reported.

Stop looking at us as the “Bungles”

DISRESPECT: “I feel the media disrespects the Bengals because they haven’t been great for so long,” @vspmsx246 tweeted. “However, I feel the disrespect is unwarranted because other franchises have been worse and aren’t as talked about. This narrative needs to change especially after this year. If it doesn’t.”

ANOTHER TAKE: “Personally, I think the narrative is changing after the (Chiefs) win, hard not to when in the super bowl,” @alwunder tweeted. “Huge NFL stories are overtaking any Bengals talk though and unfortunately for the Bengals they kind of are bigger stories, the Flores suit and Brady retiring.”

BONUS TAKES: “We are only being disrespected by saltyfansofteamswebeatand ex players such as Bart Scott,” @HellBird tweeted, “but we mostly are getting more positive vibes nationwide than we ever have in previous SB runs imo.”

“I’d say some of the reason (for the positive vibes) is the success several players had in college, Joe/Ja’marr have a huge following from LSU, and because of social media,” @Who_Dey_Beast tweeted. “SM makes every little thing ‘news worthy’, then it’s amplified as it’s shared. Team full of good guys also heightens things, imo.”

MY TAKE: We see what we see, the joy of this season in the context of the past. This is not Same Old Bengals. That was then and This Is Us. We hope the focus will be on the intoxicating tale of this team and these players not just Bunglerehashing,butwhyworry?What if we have faith that if this story is good enough, that will take care of itself? Why let anything spoil our fun?

We only can control how we look at our Bengals. We can choose the media and social media we follow and realize thereisnounanimity.Heck,weareBengals fans, and we can’t even agree on this topic.

SoaretheBengalsdisrespectedorrespected? What if you can see both sides?

“Disrespected because of organization history and sacks taken this year. Remove the amount of sacks and pressure and it is hard to question the success,” @DontBlameTheVo1 tweeted.

“Respected because they ... overcame all of that and did the unthinkable to most of the nation.”

Imagine if they win the Super Bowl.

Rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase holds the Lamar Hunt Trophy after his Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game on Jan. 30. Sports columnist Mike Bass writes, “Negative feelings are more powerful than positive ones and can kidnap your Super Bowl feel-good.” ALBERT CESARE/THE ENQUIRER

If you feel your beloved NFL team has been disrespected, just brush it off

Mike Bass Columnist Special to Cincinnati Enquirer

Week 12 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Context: With a win, the Bengals would again lead the division and sweep the Steelers for the first time in 15 seasons.

What happened: Another dominant performance from the Bengals in a 41-10 win. Running back Joe Mixon had one of his best days as a pro with 165 yards and 2 touchdowns.

What it meant: The Bengals were back in control of their own destiny while leading the AFC North thanks to a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Ravens.

TeeHigginsandhisteammatescelebratehistouchdownreceptioninthesecondquarteroftheBengals’41-10thrashing oftheSteelers.TheBengalshavewonthreestraightintheseriesforthefirsttimesince1990.

SAMGREENE/THEENQUIRER

SHERIFFTHERE’SANEWINTOWN

CharlieGoldsmith CincinnatiEnquirer TODAYNETWORK

TheEnquirer MONDAY,DECEMBER6,2021

Before the Cincinnati Bengals first gameoftheseasonagainstthePittsburgh Steelers, Bengals cornerback MikeHiltonstoodatthefrontofthe roomattheWestinhotelindowntown Pittsburgh.SinceHiltonplayedthefirst fourseasonsofhisNFLcareerwiththe Steelers,BengalsheadcoachZacTaylor hadHiltongivethepregamespeechbeforetheBengalsfirstmatchupofthe yearagainsttheirbiggestrival. theHilton,whohadafrontrowseatfor toldBengalsdownfallinthelate2010s, nitudetherestoftheteamaboutthemagburgh.oftheBengalsrivalrywithPittsHetoldtheBengalsplayersabout howtheSteelers“stabbedhiminthe back”whentheydidn’tre-signhimat

JoeMixonrushed28timefor yardsandtwotouchdowns,including 117 yards and a touchdown before halftime.KAREEMELGAZZAR/THEENQUIRER

theendofthe2020season. galsThenHiltontoldtherestoftheBenrosterthatthebestwayfortheteam toprovethatitcouldcompetein2021 wouldbetosweepCincinnati’sbiggest rival.Twomonthslater,theBengalsfinishedthesweepoftheseasonseries witha41-10winovertheSteelerson SundayatPaulBrownStadium.

straightTheBengalshavenowwonthree gamesagainstPittsburghfor athefirsttimesince1990,andtheyhave firstsingle-seasonseriessweepforthe timesince2009. “Beating those guys three times straightisachangingoftheguard,” Hiltonsaidafterthepostgamecelebrationended.“Itgivesusalotofconfidence,andguysareexcitedtosee howthispansout.” For every step forward and step backtheBengalshavemadeoverthe last20years,Pittsburghhasbeena maincharacterinthestory.In2005, theSteelersknockedformerBengals quarterbackCarsonPalmeroutofthe playoffsandeliminatedCincinnatiin thefirstround.

BengalsIn2013,theSteelersdominatedthe knockedonSundayNightFootballand BengalspunterKevinHuber outofthegamewithoneofthedefining hits of the rivalry. In 2015, the SteelersembarrassedtheBengalsin the first round of the playoffs in agamethathadoneoftheworstcol-

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Itwasa Bengals exorcism without apriest

theBetween1and4Sundayafternoon, Cincinnati Bengals performed somereligiononthePittsburghSteelers at Paul Brown Stadium. The weatherwasNovemberperfect,sunny and45degrees.Alovelydayforanexorcism. bornThat’swhatitwasandonlythose Theyesterdaycandenyit. whippingBengalshavenever,everlaida onbigbrothercomparableto the41-10whippingtheylaidonthe SteelersSunday.IwassurfingtherecordbooktoseeifCincinnatihadever in53yearsledPittsburghby21points athalftime,whenMikeHiltoninterceptedBenRoethlisbergerandran24 un-tetheredyardstotheSteelersend zone.31-3.Iclosedthebook. toTobeaBengalsfanonthisdaywas allwitnessjoywithoutend,amen.To DiseasewhohavesufferedchronicSteelers and believed there’d be no cure,toallwhosufferedtheunimaginableindignityofJan.9,2016,whofelt the knee pain of Carson Palmer10 yearsandadaybeforethat,toHines Ward’shitonKeithRiverstoTerence GarvinjackingKevinHuber’sjawto BillCowher’s“WeDey”chanttoall whosawgreatseasonsclosedbythe SteelCurtain,andonandonandon.

SeeDAUGHERTY Page2B PaulDaugherty Columnist CincinnatiEnquirer USATODAY

Uncertaintyreturnstocollegefootball

PaulDaugherty CincinnatiEnquirer NETWORK

DanWolken

tence,ForthefirstsevenyearsofitsexisthebiggestproblemwiththeCollegeFootballPlayoffwasnotthenumberofteams,theselectioncommitteeor evenplayingsemifinalgamesonNew Year’sEve.

JoeBurrowpassedfor300yards,butotherwisehadadifficultdayatthehandsoftheLosAngelesChargers’pressure. Hewasinterceptedtwice,lostafumbleandwassackedsixtimesinthe41-22loss.

Onbrinkofepic comeback,the Bengalsfallapart

CharlieGoldsmith CincinnatiEnquirer NETWORK

Inthemiddleofthethirdquarteron Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium, the CincinnatiBengalslinedupforatwopointconversionwithachancetotie thescore,settingthesceneforthetype ofwinthathadneverhappenedinBengalshistory. When the two-point conversion didn’tpanout,theBengalsgottheball back on the next drive and had the

SAMGREENE/THEENQUIRER

chancetotakethelead.Earlyinthe fourthquarter,theBengalswereinthe red zone with a shot to stay in the game.EventhoughtheBengalstrailedby 24pointsinthesecondquarteragainst theLosAngelesChargers,Cincinnati hadmultipleopportunitiestosnaga possibleseason-definingwin.

Afterafailedtwo-pointconversion, themostcostlyfumbleofBengalsrunningbackJoeMixon’scareerandone ofthehardesttoexplaininterceptions of quarterback Joe Burrow’s season, theChargersbeattheBengals,41-22. Withtheloss,theBengalsstillhaven’t overcome a 24-point deficit in franchisehistory."Weknewwehaddoneeverything wecouldhavepossiblydonepoorlyin thefirsthalf,andwewerestilldown11

with the ball (at halftime)," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. "We crawledoutofitandweredown24-22 inthefourthquarter.Wejustdidn’tfinishit."FromthemomentBengalswidereceiverJa’MarrChasewaswideopen downthefieldandtippedapotential touchdownintothehands aLosAngelesChargerscornerbackonCincinnati’sseconddriveofthegame,the Bengalslookedliketheywereontheir waytoablowoutloss.Itwasjustoneoftheteam’sdisastersastheChargerstookanearly24-0 lead.Forthefirst20minutesofthe game,theBengalssawalloftheirconcernsheadingintotheseasonpackagedintoninedrives.

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KeithJenkins CincinnatiEnquirer TODAYNETWORK

TheNo.13isluckyafterall. TheUniversityofCincinnatifootball teamputitsfootonthegasatthestart ofthesecondhalfandneverletup,defeating Houston 35-20 in the AAC championshipgameSaturdayatNippertStadium. Cincinnati claimed second straightAACcrownandstoodonits homefieldastheonlyremainingundefeatedteamintheFBS.TheBearcatsbecamethefirst13-0teaminprogramhistory. The only question that remains is whowilltheyplaynext?

“Wejustwanttoplayfootball,”said CincinnatiquarterbackDesmondRid-

der,whowillendhiscareerwitha26-0 recordas starterathome.“That’sall wecareabout.Wedon’tcarewho,where orwhen.Justputtheballdownandlet usplay.”Cincinnati,whichenteredthedayat No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings,wasrewardedforitsperfect seasonSundaywhentheBearcatswere awardedtheNo.4seedandearneda datewithtop-rankedAlabamainthe CottonBowl.TheBearcatsbecamethefirstnonPowerFiveteamtocrackthecommittee’sfinaltopfourandcompeteforanationalchampionship.“Ifit’smeanttobe,itwillbe,”CincinnaticoachLukeFickellsaidSaturday night.“Idon’tthinktheseguyscanbe

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Medpace

Week 13 vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Instead,thefundamentalflawofa

Eliteteams don’tdowhat theBengals havedone

potentially great system was that it launched at the beginning of an era whenasmallhandfulofprogramsseparatedfromthepack,makingafundamentallyexcitingsportlookrepetitive, predictableandevenboring. withButasthePlayoffheadsintoYear8–tentiallydiscussionsaboutexpansionpomovingaheadasearlyasnext week – there’s an unfamiliar feeling aroundcollegefootball. penWedon’tknowwhat’sgoingtohapnext. IntheclosingsecondsofMichigan’s

42-27winoverOhioState,asfansand studentsbegantostreamontothefield andJimHarbaughsmiledforthefirst timeinwhatfeltlikeforever,college football’struesoulwasrestored. causeNotbecauseMichiganwon,butbetheoutcomewasn’tinevitable. feltlikeacompetition.Anditwasthe bestexampleyetofasportfindingits balance again after so many years whereitseemedlikethegapbetween thesuperpowersandthemeremortals

Context: Joe Burrow vs. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was billed as one of the next great rivalries in the NFL with both second-year players seemingly poised for success.

IntheNFL,you’renotgoingtoplay17 gamesyouwanttohangonawall.Unlessyouarevery,verygood,everysuccessiveweekyouplaywellmeansyou’re closertoaweekwhenyoustinkitup. TheBengalslosttotheL.A.Chargers Sundaybecausetheycouldn’tovercome one hellaciously bad first half. When theythreatenedinthesecondhalfto right all those first-half wrongs, they messedthatup,too.I’mnotsurewhattodowiththis2241loss.Maybewaditupandthrowitin theThingsNottoDobin.Itwasfunhousecrazy,butanymessageitmight have left for Cincinnati fans was not amusing.After12games,the7-5BengalsremainfirmlyintheNFL’sfatmiddleclass. Good enough to dispatch lesser teamsandpulltheoccasionalsurprise. Notyetgoodenoughtorunwiththe elites.That’snotbad.Norisittheteam’s faultitsplayhasraisedexpectationsbeyondreasonable.TheChargersoccupythesamebourgeoisNFLneighborhoodastheBengals. Aftertakinga24-0leadwith10minutes leftinthefirsthalf,L.A.dideverythingit couldtohandtheBengalsthewin.It’s notoftentwoteamscanplayonemiserable half each, in one game, against eachother,intheNFL.Ithappenedat PBSSunday.Innospecialorderofegregiousness, inthefirsthalftheBengals:

What happened: Poor situational football and missed opportunities doomed the Bengals in the 41-22 loss.

What it meant: While the loss hurt the Bengals in the overall playoff picture, they still controlled their own fate thanks to a 3-1 record in the division.

1.Missedanextrapoint.

2.Linedupfora2-pointconversion, calledtimeouttotalkitover,thengot calledfordelayofgameafterthetimeout.“Horrificmanagementofthesituationbyme,’’ZacTaylorallowed.

3.Sawtheirfirstfouroffensivepossessions end in fumble, interception, threeandout,threeandout.

4. Allowed Chargers quarterback JustinHerberttothrowfourpassesof 40-plusyards,and.

5.Screweduptheirclockmanage-

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LukeFickellandDesmondRiddercelebratethe35-20victoryoverHoustoninthe AACtitlegameatNippertStadiumSaturdaynight.UC(13-0)endedtheregular seasonasthenation’sonlyunbeatenteam.KAREEMELGAZZAR/THEENQUIRER

SPORTS

That’snotthewayyou chargetowardplayoffs

Week 14 vs. San Francisco 49ers

Context: The 49ers were one of the most complete teams in the league with a stout offense loaded with weapons and a stingy defense.

What happened: Joe Burrow put on one of the best displays at quarterback of the season during the fourth quarter, but a comeback attempt fell just short in the 26-23 OT loss.

What it meant: With four games to go, the Bengals no longer had a margin for error at 7-6. The playoff picture wasn’t favorable for a wildcard spot, but winning the division would guarantee a postseason berth.

CincinnatiBengalssafetyVonnBelldivestotackleSanFrancisco49erswidereceiverBrandonAiyukasherunsinacatch forthegame-winningtouchdowninovertimeoftheirNFLWeek14footballgameatPaulBrownStadiumindowntown CincinnationSundayevening.TheBengalstiedthegameinthefourthquarterbutfellinOT.

fromWhatwelearnedBengals’OTloss

Their26-23defeatpushedteamout ofAFCplayoffpicturewith4gamesleft

theirTheCincinnatiBengals(7-6)clawed forcewaybackfroma20-6deficitto overtimeagainsttheSanFrancisco49ers(7-6)butultimatelycameup shortandlost26-23inovertime. BengalsSunday’slosstothe49ersknocksthe outoftheplayoffpicture.With fourgamestogo,Cincinnatihastostart stackingwinsorthey’llletapromising seasongotowaste. muchEvenat7-6,theAFCNorthisvery stillupintheairandiftheBengals beattheRavensandBrowns,winning thedivisionremainsapossibility. needButinordertodothat,theBengals gamestofindanansweronhowtostart faster. In the last two home lossestotheLosAngelesChargersand

Bengals haveyet tofollow through onchances

San Francisco, Cincinnati has dugthemselvestoobigaholetoovercome. fense,IftheBengalscomeoutfastonoftheyhaveprovedtheyareahard teamtobeat.TheBengalsenteramustwinsituationinDenvernextweekend. It’sanAFCgameCincinnatihastowin toremainintheplayoffhunt. heBengalsHeadCoachZacTaylorsaid stillbelieveshisteamisgoodenoughtomaketheplayoffs. us,“Idon’tthinkanybodywantstoplay thequitefrankly.Wehaven’twonallof won.gameswefeltlikeweshouldhave dence,IthinkourguyshaveatonofconfiIthinkpeopleseewhatweare about,theyseetalentthatwe’vegotin allthreephases.Theyknowwearegoingtofightuntilthelastsecond.” Here’s what we learned from the overtimelosstothe49ers:

QuarterbackJoeBurrow’sepic comebackfallsshort Cincinnati’sfranchisequarterback isonly25yearsoldbutyouwouldneverknowbythewayheplays.Nostage seemstoobigforBurrowaswe’veseen onnumerousoccasionsthisseason. comebackIftheBengalsweregoingtomakea againstthe49ers,Burrow wasgoingtohavetotakeoverandget histeambackinthegame.Hedidjust that. BurrowWith2:40lefttoplayinregulation, put together a surgical drive going 3-for-5 before throwing the game-tying touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase. Burrow finished the daycompleting25of34passesfor348 yardsandtwotouchdowns. “Yeah,that’sJoe, meanthat’swho he’salwaysbeen,”defensiveendSam Hubbard said of Burrow’s perfor- mance. “We have the utmost confidenceinhim.Ilovebeingonhisteam.

theGetpasttheovertimethrills,and almostchillsyougotwatchingJoeBurrow makemagic…pushthrough the calls Zac Taylor did and didn’t makeinovertime,withhisoffenseon theedgeofwinnin’time…trytoignore thesadfactthatlosinggamessuchas thisoneisjustwhattheBengalsdo… twoAndunderstandthatforthepast tionweeks,CincinnatihasletsalvaslipthroughitsfingerslikeaDari-usPhillipsfumble. galsThreeSundaynightsago,theBenwere6-4andthegodswerehand- ing them gifts: Excellent health and threehomegamesinarow.Theformer isalmostunheard-ofintheNFLinlate November.Thelatterislikeanextra birthdaycake. The Bengals crushed the Raiders andthedescendingSteelersandthe chatter was about the potential for somethingmagicalontheriverfront. Nextweregamesagainsttwomiddling teams traveling here from the West Coast,tofaceaBengalsteamwhose playerslovedtosay,“It’sallinfrontof us”andwhosefanswerestartingto believeit. thingIfyou’regoingtoaspiretosomeness.bigger,youtakecareofthatbusiInstead,theBengalslosttwice andnowareoutoftheplayoffshow,at leasttemporarily. erForthesecondweekinarow,aplayappeared at the postgame press gatheringandsaid,insomanywords, thattheteamasawholewasnotready toplay.Lastweek,TeeHigginssuggestedtherewasalackofenergytobeginthegameagainsttheChargers,a 41-22 loss. On Sunday, Mike Hilton said,“It’samultitudeofthings.Guys notcomingprepared....” Whoa. fineThesearemoneygames.Theydewhowhereyoustandandtelltheworld youare.Playersliketoreferthe

UClookstobouncebackfollowingShootoutloss

ANALYSISOFBENGALS15,BRONCOS10

UC,XUmen’sbasketball Bearcatswelcomebackanex-player; XavierhasabiggameatVillanova,

Shootout rivalry. It was also Miller’s worstdefeatinhisshortstintasheadof theBearcatsprogram. downThebadnewsforMillerisitwillgo asoneofworstlossesinthehistoryoftherivalry.Butthegoodnewsisit doesn’thavetodefineUC’sseason. team“We’llcomeback,”Millersaid.“This back.hasalotofcharacter.We’llcome We’llgetbacktowork.We’lltryto getbacktoplayingthewaythatwe’ve played,forthemostpart,overthelast monthorso.Weneedtousethistobecomeabetterteam.Weneedtolearn andgrowfromthis.That’stheonlyway youcanapproachitatthispoint.” gamesTheBearcats(7-3)havethreemore beforetheyopenAmericanAthleticConferenceplayDec.28atNo.14

Thiswasa well-planned Bengalswin youngteams growfrom

Week 15 at Denver Broncos

CincinnatiBengalsdefensiveendTreyHendrickson(91)reachesforDenverquarterbackDrewLockasBroncos offensivetackleGarettBollesattemptstoblockhimandiscalledforaholdingpenaltyinthesecondhalfoftheirgame atEmpowerFieldatMileHighinDenveronSundaynight.

ALBERTCESARE/THEENQUIRER

Lessonslearnedfromthe Bengals’victoryinDenver

shot. Burrow connected with Tyler Boydfor19yardsandputCincinnatiin field goal range. Rookie kicker Evan McPhersonhita58-yardfieldgoal,a franchiserecord,togivetheBengalsa 6-3leadatthehalf.

TheCincinnatiBengalsimprovedto 8-6ontheyearandareinfirstplaceof theAFCNorthfollowingtheir15-10win overtheDenverBroncos(7-7). Sunday’swinfortheBengalslooked similartomanygamesthisseason.A slowstartbytheoffense,adominant performancebythedefenseandaninspiringdrivebyquarterbackJoeBurrowtoignitetheteam.Afteralmosttwoquartersofsubpar play by the Bengals’ offense, Denver misseda51-yardfieldgoalwith0:14left toplayinthefirsthalf.Ratherthantake akneeandgointohalftied3-3,Bengals HeadCoachZacTayloroptedtotakea

TheBengalsstillcouldn’tfindthe endzoneearlyinthethirdquarterand evenlosttheirleadatonepoint.After Denver’s backup quarterback Drew Lockcameinforinjuredstartingquarterback Teddy Bridgewater, he connectedwithwidereceiverTimPatrick ona25-yardscoringplaytotakethe lead.Aswe’veseenmanytimesthisyear, thesearethesituationsthatseemto bringoutthebestinBurrow.Whenthe Bengalstookthefieldontheensuing drive, Burrow and the Bengals went

no-huddleandinamatterof0:45seconds,tooktheleadback.Burrowfound his “security blanket” Boyd over the middleandtheveteranwideoutoutranDenver’ssecondaryfora56-yard scoringplay. Cincinnati never scored again but theydidn’tneedtobecauseofhowwell theBengals’defenseplayed,aswe’ve seentimeaftertimethisseason. Here’s what we learned from the Week15roadwinovertheBroncos: Cincinnati’sdefense sendsmessage Withsomuchstarpowerontheoffensivesideoftheball,theBengals’de-

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Houston.Allthreegamesareathome. ThefirstisTuesdaynightagainstHBCU FloridaA&M. THEGAME hTipoff:7p.m.onTuesdayatFifthThirdArena TV/Radio:ESPN+/WLW-AM(700)Seriesinfo: Cincinnati has won both meetings in the all-time series againsttheRattlers,withthelastcomingonNov.22,2010.Inthatmatchup, theBearcatsmade12three-pointersand hadfourplayersscoreindoublefigures.

Context: The Bengals and Broncos were essentially playing an elimination game for a chance at the playoffs because of the similar records and standings in the conference.

aFAMUguardM.J.Randolphscored atgame-high21pointsina73-66loss AkrononSunday.PROVIDED/FAMU SeeBEARCATS Page4B

KhalidKareemstrippedtheballfrom DrewLock,felltotheground,gotup and,well,yousawit.A6-foot-4,270poundman,runningwiththefootball likeasodamachinewithlegs,getting theCincinnatiBengalsclosertothetop oftheAFCNorthwitheverythumping step.Kareem’splaymightnothavebeen themostimportantoftheseasonsofar, butitsurelywasinthephoto. ThereweremorethanafewsignificantKodakmomentsSundayinDenver, where the Bengals won crazily,15-10, andre-tooktheleadintheAFCNorth, foratleast24hoursorso.Thiswasthe sortofgameayoungteamoftenfinds itselfin.Unpredictable,majorswingsof momentumandmood,notellinghowit mightturnout.Itwasalsothekindof winfromwhichayoungteamgrows. BeforeKareemmadehisglorygallop, there was Joe Burrow, not pretty, far fromspectacular,butplentygoodatdoingwhatgoodQBsdo:Supplyingwhat theteamneeds,whenitneedsit.Makingtheoffensebetterforhispresence. Burrowscrambledtwiceforfirstdowns onthirdandinconvenient,andhedelivered the game-winning 56-yard TD striketoTylerBoyd,whenitlookedasif the Bengals next touchdown would happenaweekfromnow.“Simple,”Boydexplained.“Icaught the ball and there was a lot of green grass.”Burrowdidn’tforcethingsagainsta verygoodBroncosdefense.Hedidn’t throwanypicks,oreventheoccasional waywardballthatbeggedtobepicked. “Besmartwiththefootball,”Burrowexplained.“Taketheopportunitieswhen they’rethere.’”“That’swhatgreatquarterbacksdo inDecember,”ZacTaylorsaid. When the Broncos royally screwed

What happened: There are no style points in the NFL.

The Bengals won a 15-10 defensive struggle thanks to wide receiver Tyler Boyd’s touchdown in the third quarter.

What it meant: Sitting at 8-6, the Bengals controlled their own destiny with games against the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns remaining.

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UC’sstarWRnearlymovedtodefenseearlyincareer

BobbyNightengale CincinnatiEnquirer USA NETWORK

PlayingatIndianaUniversityinthe thirdgameoftheseason,theUniversity ofCincinnatifootballteamwastrailing byapointatthebeginningofthefourth quarterwhenseniorreceiverAlecPierce madehisfavoritecatchoftheseason. Pierce,listedat6-foot-3,213pounds, stutter-steppedpastthecornerbackin frontofhimbeforemakingamovetothe outside. Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder tossed a fade pass and Pierce leaped at the goal line and snaggedhisfirsttouchdownoftheseasonwithadefenderdrapedacrosshis body,securingtheballasheslidintothe backoftheendzone. It proved to be the game-winning touchdownina38-24victory,caughtin frontoftheBearcats’studentandfamily sectionintheroadstadium,whichkept

CincinnationthepathtowardtheCollegeFootballPlayoff.

“Ihadbeenkindofquietthefirstcoupleofgamesoftheyear,”saidPierce, wholeadstheBearcatswith50catches, 867yardsandseventouchdowns.“We werebeatingteamsbad,sowedidn’t reallyhavetothrowtheball.Thatwas probablymyfavoriteonesofar.Itjust gotmoretrustinmefromthestaffand theplayers.” Acrobatic catches are nothing new forPierce.Hehadsixcatchesfor144 yardsagainstNotreDame.Herecorded 113yardsandatouchdownonfivecatchesversusTulsa.Thefirstcatchofhiscareer was a 52-yard reception against UCLAin2019whereheleapedforadeep balloverthemiddleofthefield. He’swell-knownforhisathleticism, the son of two college athletes that playedatNorthwestern.Hesetapro-

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CincinnatiBearcatswidereceiverAlecPierce(12)snagshisfirsttouchdownof theseasonwithanIndianadefenderdrapedacrosshisbody.Piercecallsit probablyhisfavoritetouchdownoftheseasonsofar.

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Week 16 vs. Baltimore Ravens

Context: With a win, the Bengals could stay in control of the AFC North and complete the season sweep of both the Ravens and Steelers

What happened: Simply put, the Bengals rubbed it in when given the chance in the 41-21 win, returning the favor from the season finale in 2020. What it meant: The win over Baltimore set up a showdown with the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs and a chance to clinch the AFC North division title for the first time in five seasons.

TheRavensdefenselostTylerBoydandhecaughta68-yardtouchdownpassfromJoeBurrow.JoeMixonescortedBoyd totheendzoneastheplaygavetheBengalsa10-pointleadinthesecondquarter.

WIDE-OPENITWASADAYOFOFFENSE

Bengalsmadesuretoleavenodoubtby showingoffalloftheirweaponsinrout

BENGALS34,CHIEFS31

Wounded Ravens hadno chanceto compete

The Baltimore Ravens had no chanceSundayatPaulBrownStadium.TheBengals,totheircredit,never letthembelievetheydid.Thisiswhat happensin2021’sNFLwhenoneteam is(relatively)healthyandtheotherisa travelingemergencyroom.Dem’sda breaks. You got the feeling the Bengals couldscorewhenevertheychose.This couldhavebeenwhatitwaslikefor JoeBurrowatLSU,whenheplayed Vanderbilt. But I never saw Burrow aplayVanderbilt.Sundaywasbasically stat-padding afternoon. Arena Leaguegreatesthits. passingBengals41,Ravens21,Burrow525 yards,TeeHiggins194receivingyards,JoeMixon135totalyards andatouchdown. Etcetera. TheItwaslikeacircuswithoutclowns. eredhuskofateamtheRavensgathmartoperformheredidn’tincludeLatleyJacksonorhisback-upTylerHun(COVID) or Huntley’s back-up, ChrisStreveler,alsointheprotocol. (AlsoabsentwereenoughRavensdefensivebackstofillawinginCanton.)

SeeDAUGHERTY

Burrowpassedforafranchise-record 525passingyardsandfour touchdownsastheBengalstook commandoftheAFCNorthat9-6with twogamestoplay.

yearTheBengalsimprovedto9-6onthe andnowhaveaone-gameleadin theAFCNorthafterbeatingtheBaltimoreRavens41-21onSundayatPaul BrownStadium. franchiseItwasadayfullofcareer-highsand recordsfortheBengals.Wide receiverTeeHigginssetanewcareer highforreceivingyards.Quarterback JoeBurrowthrewforthemostpassing yardshehassincebeingdraftedbyCincinnatianddefensiveendTreyHendricksoncontinueswithhisstreakof11 consecutivegameswithonesack. Baltimore,Againstabangedupsecondaryfor Burrowthrewwitheaseall daylong.TheRavensweredownseven cornerbacksheadingintotheWeek16 matchup.Despiteputtingalmostaperfectgametogether,theBengalsdidn’t reallyendthegameuntilabouthalfway throughthefourthquarterwhenHigginsscoredatouchdowntogoup41-21

and the Bengals’ defense came up withastoponfourthdownontheensuingdrive. SteelersTheBengalshavenowsweptthe andRavens,puttingthemin primepositiontowintheAFCNorth. CincinnatistillhastoplayCleveland andwininWeek18toendtheseason asdivisionchampions. BengalsHere’swhatwelearnedfromthe dominatingwinovertheRavforBurrowsetsnewfranchiserecord withmostpassingyardsinagame almostperfectperformanceBurrow was haunted by his first performanceagainsttheRavensinhis rookieyear.Sincethatday,Burrowhas destroyedtheRavens’defense.Burrow was nearly perfect against the Ravens on Sunday, completing 37 passesfor525yards.Intwogames againsttheRavensthisyear,Burrow hascompleted58passesfor941yards andseventouchdowns. Burrow’scareerdayalsosetanew

“Ourguysshouldn’tapologizeforone second,’’headcoachZacTaylorsaid ofthelopsidedwinoveradepleted Ravensteam.SAMGREENE/THEENQUIRER

UCdefensehashandsfullagainstHeismanwinner

highlighted by cornerbacks Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and Coby Bryant, whichhasallowed168.3passingyards pergame,thesecond-lowesttotalinthe

lot“Thosecornersaretheguysthatgeta Youngoftalkandit’sdefinitelywarranted,” screen.said.“Onfilm,theypopoffthe Theyarereallygoodontheback end; their entire secondary is really good.Theirlinebackersareverygoodas well,veryinstinctualplayers.Upfront, theyplaysuperhard.Theymakealotof playsatthelineofscrimmageandbe-

Inonlyhissecondseason,JoeBurrowhasengineeredtheBengals’turnaroundfromalso-rantoAFCNorthchampions. Sunday,Burrowwas30-for-39for446yardsandfourtouchdowns.KAREEMELGAZZAR/THEENQUIRER

The Cincinnati Bengals knocked off the two-time reigning AFC champion KansasCityChiefstowintheAFCNorth nfrontof64,505fansatPaulBrownStadiumonSunday.Inthe34-31wi,Bengalsquarterback JoeBurrowandrookiewidereceiverJaMarrChasestoletheshow.Chaseseta newfranchiserecordformostreceiving yardsinagamewith266on11catches. urrowfinishedthedaycompleting30f-39 passes for 446 yards and four ouchdowns. Although Cincinnati’s offensive performancewillstealmostoftheheadlines overthenewfewdays–andrightfullyso

hindit.Ondefense,toptobottom,it lookslikeagreatdefense.”

Agame thatcould havebeen anovel

–theBengals’defensekeptAll-ProquarterbackPatrickMahomesandthepotent Chiefs’offensetothreepointsinthesecondhalf.TheBengalstrailedtheChiefs 8-17athalftime.Giventherostermakeupwhenhetook verasheadcoachoftheBengalsin2019 ndwnningjustsixgamesinhisfirsttwo easons,itwashardforheadcoachZac Taylortoputintowordswhatwinning theAFCNorthandclinchingapostseaonberthmeans.Taylor’sresponsewhen skedwhyheoptedtogoforittwiceon fourthdowninthefinalsecondsofthe gameinsteadofkickafieldgoalshows usthowmuchconfidencehehasinhis youngteam. You have to go take this division,” aylorsaid.“It’snotjustkickthefield goalthenletPatrickMahomesdosome-

hingandI’vegotatonoffaithinour defensetocomeuptherebutthethings orthhaving,youhavetogogetthem ndnotwaitforsomeonetogivethem toyouandthat’swhat thoughtour guysdidtoday.” ere’s what we learned from the engals’Week17win: JoeBurrowgivestheBengalsa ewsenseofhope,kneeinjuryis nothingserious’:WhenaskedifBurrowbelieveshe’splayingthebesthe’s everplayedinhiscareer,Cincinnati’s 5-year-old star quarterback didn’t incehiswords.Norshouldhe.Burowhasthrownfor971yardsandeight touchdownsintwoweeks.AstheNo.1 ickinthe2020NFLDraft,expectationswereincrediblyhighofBurrow andnotonlyhasheliveduptothem, he’sgettingbettereverysingleweek. Yeah, do,” Burrow responded hen asked if this is best he’s ever

Week 17 vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Alabama’sIftherewasoneareaofconcernfor offense, it’s keeping the pocketcleanforYoung.Hewassacked seventimesbyAuburninatwo-point victoryinovertime,fourtimesinasixpointwinoverLSUandfourmoretimes inaseven-pointwinagainstArkansas. HewassackedfourtimesintheTide’s losstoTexasA&M. bestTheTide’soffensivelineplayedits game in the SEC Championship GameagainstGeorgia,notpermittinga

sackforthefirsttimeallyear.Facing Georgia’s highly-touted defense, Alabamascoredonfiveconsecutivedrives tocementitsspotintheplayoff. Cincinnati recorded a season-high eightsacksinitsAACChampionship winoverHoustonandtheBearcatshave totaledatleastthreesacksinfiveof theirlastsixgames.Seniordefensive linemanCurtisBrooksleadstheteam with7 SanderssackswhiledefensiveendMyjai (2 sacks)oftendrawsalotof

Context: The Chiefs were playing for the top seed in the AFC playoffs, and the Bengals needed a win to secure a playoff spot.

UC Page4B

Thegamewasanovel,acolumnist has800words. he Bengals’ 34-31 win over the hiefswassothickwithplots,itshould bemadeintoaseriesandsoldtoNetflix.Thebestwecandohereisattempt firstdraft.Itwon’tbenearlyenough. Chapter1:Let’sjustsaythatat4:09 onSundayafternoon,rookieplacekickerEvanMcPherson,whoknowslittleof engaldom and its checkered exisence,drilleda20-yardfieldgoalwith twosecondstoplay,theBengalsbeat heKansasCityChiefsandwontheir firstAFCNorthtitlesince2015. o,wait.Thatdoesn’tcoverit. hapter2:JoeBurrowthrewfor446 yards,aweekafterthrowingfor525.He knows Ja’Marr Chase like he knows tight spirals and tighter situations. WhatthatpairhathwroughtonSundaywasn’tsimplyaseason-definer.It wasafranchise-definer. tilldoesn’tcoverit. Chapter 3: Ja’Marr Chase can’t be defendedbyoneguy.Notusuallyand ertainlynotbytheChiefs.“Oneonone ith Ja’Marr?’’ Burrow said. “Good uck.’’Chasecaught11Burrowpasses for a franchise record 266 yards. At easthalfwereamazing,morethanthat erecrucial.Whatwasyourfavorite? Chapter 4: Chase answering Burow’s 3rd-and-27 prayer on the last driveofthegame,wigglingfreefrom Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward, foracatchthatgaveCincinnatia1st downontheKC11-yardline.Chapter5:Chaseturningasimple lantintoa72-yardgrab-no-go,togive theBengalsabadlyneededTDwhen theyweredown0-14andontheverge ofbeingblownout.Chaseisaseasyto ackleaswater.Hemadethecatchon heleftside,swervedbacktothecenter fthefieldasifhewereavoidingadeer ntheroad,thenturnedontheburners. 7-14.WithNumber1,it’snotjustaslant pass.It’sanadventure.hapter6:Chasegettingbehindthe

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What happened: The Chiefs raced out to an early lead and held a 14-point lead twice in the first half. Then, the Bengals turned the tables in the second half. The Chiefs only scored three points as the Bengals won, 34-31. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase broke the NFL record for receiving yards in a game by a rookie. What it meant: With the AFC North title secured, the Bengals could rest their starters in the regularseason finale at Cleveland knowing they were going to host a playoff game.

AnuglystarttothestartofAACplayfortheBearcats

BobbyNightengale

Week 18 at Cleveland Browns

Context: The Bengals sat most of their starters because they had already secured a postseason berth.

Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase needed 12 receiving yards to break the franchise record for a single season. Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield was out because he was having surgery on his non-throwing shoulder.

What happened: Chase broke the franchise record in the first quarter, and the rest of the game was otherwise inconsequential as the Browns headed into the offseason with a 21-16 win.

Ja’MarrChasebrokeChadJohnson’sfranchiserecordforreceivingyardsinaseason.Therecordcameona24-yardcatch andrun thefirstquarterthatgavehim1,455yards.Chasewenttothebenchfortherestofthegame.

Now,it’stimefor themainattraction

WithJoeBurrowathome,Chasesets receivingrecordandnow,theplayoffs

KelseyConway Enquirer TODAYNETWORK

undaysof4p.m.onadrearydrudgeofa afternoon,inthewakeofasorythinghatlosstotheClevelandBrowns,evchanged for the Cincinnati Bengals.Thestakes,theexpectations, helevelofcompetition.Theirseason–owit’sdefinedandjudged,whatitwill ean isover–entered

Sonwastheonlystarterwhoplayedin unday’sgameandthatwasdueto Wnumbersinthecornerbackroom. iththeregularseasonnowinthe books,Cincinnaticanturnitsfocusto theplayoffs.TheBengalswon’tknow pheiropponentandwhatdaytheyare helayinguntillateSundaynightwhen Week18slateofgamesarecom-plete. ndThisseasonisalwaysfullofit’sups downs,”Taylorsaidfollowingthe game.“Itreallycomesdowntowhich eamscanhandleadversitythebest. gndtonevergettoohighandtonever ettoolowand thoughtourteamdidareatjobofthat. Responding in the face of some oughadversityandhandlingsuccess somemomentswell. finished theseason,asidefromthelosstoday, nareallygoodnotewithalotofconfi-

OPrinceandguardHakeemAdeniji. ndefense,slotcornerbackMikeHil-

DefensivebackTrayvonHenderson

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WhatTide,Bulldogsmustdotowinthenationaltitle

PaulMyerberg TODAY

What it meant: Bengals starters essentially got a bye week before the playoffs began, while the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers played an elimination game with the Raiders winning in overtime. Chase not only broke Chad Johnson's receiving record, but he also eclipsed former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson's NFL record for yards by a rookie receiver.

ForGeorgia,ashortmemorymaybethekeytobeatingAlabama. t’sbeenalittle thanamonth incetheCrimsonTidescored41points nGeorgia’stop-rankeddefensetotake ometheSECintheoneblipinGeorgia’s therwisedominantmarch door- tep of the program’s first nationalhampionshipsincethe1980season. hatupsetisjoinedbyarunoflosses againsttheCrimsonTidedatingto2008, ganyamongthemostpainfulinGeoria’shistory.CantheBulldogswipethe lateclean? ookforanearlyfeeling-outperiod whenthetwomeetonMondaynightin he College Football Playoff national

BENGALS26,RAIDERS19

Linebacker Prattand defensecelebrateafterhisinterception fourth-and-goalwith25secondsleft. Burrowtookakneeonthenextplaytonaildownthevictory. ELGAZZAR/THEENQUIRER

WELLWORTH THEDRAMA

Itwasn’teasy,butBengalscametoofarnottoadvanceCharlieGoldsmith CincinnatiEnquirer TODAY

secondfourthdowninthemiddleofthe quarter, Cincinnati Bengals quarterbackJoeBurrowheardtheteam wasgoingforitandthenlookedupat crowd.Hewaved armsdownwardtoshushthecrowd,andthe66,277 fansimmediatelyfellsilent. Burrowcalledan atthelineof scrimmageandmovedtotakeaquarterbacksneak.Thenhesignaledforwide Ja’MarrChase motiontothe middleofthefield,tossedtheballto

31-yearTheCincinnatiBengalsendedtheir droughtwithoutaplayoffwinas 19theydefeatedtheLasVegasRaiders26onSaturdayafternoon. crowdInfrontof66,277fans,thelargest BrowntheBengalshaveeverhadatPaul Stadium,Cincinnatistartedthe

Chaseandwatchedhimrunforaneasy firstdown. gameBurrowplayedlikehehadtheentire palmandhadtheentirestadiuminthe ofhishand.Hehadafullgraspof the moment and the 31-year stretch withoutaplayoffwinforthefranchise. The Bengals drafted Burrow to changeeverythinginmomentslikethis. OnSaturday,astheBengalsbeattheLas VegasRaiders,26-19,Burrowdelivered exactly the way the franchise envi- sioned. noThistime,therewasnoerrantpass, thefumbleandnopenaltythatderailed moment.

roomTherewasnoACLinjury,nolocker disruption,nofumble,nopenalty.ThelongestdroughtwithoutaplayoffwininallofNorthAmericansports is BurrowWith14:17leftinthefourthquarter, leadinggottheballwiththeBengals byatouchdown.Hedemon- strated the calm presence and the clutchfactortheBengalswerehoping forwhentheydraftedhim.Burrow ofhisreceivers leadthe teamdownthefield,andattheendof theseven-minutedrivetheBengals

SeeBENGALS Page2C

ThisWinter,Protectan

bhampionshipgame(8p.m.ET).Alaama will look to see what Georgia Bearnedfromlastmonth’sloss.Howthe ulldogstweakaclearlyflawedgame lan—andhowtheTiderespondtoa actorewdefensiveapproach—mightbethe that ultimately decides this atchupofSECpowers. Butit’snottheonlyingredientfora Georgiawin.Boileddown,thesearethe tepsthatwillpilottheBulldogsorCrimonTidetothetopofcollegefootball. HowAlabamabeatsGeorgia h lay.Bymakingitaboutquarterback ember,ThisiswhathappenedinearlyDeandtheresultclearlyindicates howAlabamathrivesinasettingwhere uarterbackplayisthedeterminingfac-

HeismanTrophywinnerBryceYoung couldbetheedgefortheCrimsonTide ifMonday’sgame

AFC Wild Card vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Sor.Thisisn’taknockagainstGeorgia’s ptetsonBennettIV,whokeepsmaking blaysandprovinghisdoubterswrong, lutatestamenttoBryceYoung’sbriliant,HeismanTrophy-winningsophooreseason.If CrimsonTide gaindictatethetempoandpaceagainst deorgia,turningthematchupintoone eterminedbywhichoffenseandwhich ruarterbackcanmakekeyconversions throws,theBulldogswillagainbeinadifficultspot. Butnotignoringtherunning egularMissingforgoodchunksofthe season,Alabama’sgroundgame asreboundedsinceputtingupsixyards gainstLSUinearlyNovember.TheTide entforaseason-high301yardson6.4

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Context: The Bengals sought to break a 31-year postseason losing streak against the team which started the streak. Some called it the Curse of Bo Jackson because the former two-sport standout’s football career ended after being injured in the game.

What happened: The Bengals led for most of the game, but the Raiders had a chance near the end of the game to tie or go for the win with a touchdown and two-point conversion. Linebacker Germaine Pratt intercepted quarterback Derek Carr, and the Bengals ended the playoff drought via a 26-19 victory.

Sayit Bengals fans: Amen! aWhatcurse?It’sjust pieceofheaven SeeDAUGHERTY Page3C

What it meant: The pressure to finally win in the postseason was lifted, and the Bengals could embrace the cliché of playing with house money. Next up, they’d face the top-seeded Tennessee Titans in Nashville.

nightmareOnagloriousnightforendinga andbeginningadream,the onlycursesinevidencecamefromthe visitorssideline.Thirty-onebecame justanumber.Theonlyworryinour littleRepublicwhenthegameended was todoallwith mon- keys, suddenly flying off the civic back. Cincinnati26,LasVegas19. inSayitagain.Baskinitlikeabackrub parasoltheCaribbeansunshine,drinkinga drink while beautiful and handsomepeoplecoolyoubywaving massivefrondsofpalm.Cincinnati26,LasVegas19. Aword,please,Mr.Jackson. Bo,you’reouttahere. outOhsure,theexorcismwasn’twithBengalsfrights.TheRaidersdrovetothe 9-yardlinewith30secondsto play,needingsevenpointstosendthe localangstintoovertime.Asif31years hadn’tbeenlongenough.RaidersQB DerekCarrspikedtheballon1stdown tostoptheclock.Thenhethrewthree

JoeBurrowhadplentyofreasonsto smileafterdeliveringtheBengals’ firstplayoffvictory 31years. KAREEM ENQUIRER

AFC Divisional at Tennessee Titans

Context: The Bengals were on the road and underdogs against the Titans. The Titans had a bye because they were the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

What happened: Joe Burrow was sacked a record-tying nine times, but the Bengals stayed in the game thanks to turnovers from the Titans’ offense.

Rookie kicker Evan McPherson sealed the 19-16 victory with a field goal at the end of the game.

What it meant: The Bengals showed resiliency in the win and proved that despite an otherwise uninspiring offensive game, Burrow could make throws when needed to help the team win.

DEYWINAGAIN!

EvanMcPhersonproducedthegame-winningfieldgoalastimeexpiredinthedivisionalplayoffgameagainstthe top-seededTitansSaturday.TheBengalswillplaythewinneroftonight’sChiefs-Billsgame.

NASHVILLE BythetimeCincinnati BengalsquarterbackJoeBurrowmade ittotheTennesseeTitans’23-yardline onthefirstdriveofthethirdquarter,he should beenexhausted. times,Burrowhadalreadybeensackedsix whichwastiedforthemostsacks hehadtakenallyear.Atthatpoint,he hadtaken11quarterbackhits.Hehadalreadytriedonthefirstfivedrivesofthe gametocarryanoffensethatcouldn’t protecthimfromgettingslammedinto theground. anyThenon3rdand5,Burrowdidn’tsee sevenreceiversopen.Sohescrambled yardsanddoveforthefirst-down line.Ontheverynextplay,theBengals

Inside Gamewrapupandanalysisfrom Nashville’sNissanStadium.Sports,1C

Witnessesrecanted,but Ohiomanstillinprison

LauraA. StateBureau

in July 1994, three teenage friends –RaymondAllanWarren andAntonioJohnson–wereworkingon Warren’smopedwhenamaninagreen FordGranadarolledup,askingthemto sellhimdrugs. toldthemantheydon’tselldrugsand

SUNDAY+

they walked away. Minutes later, they heardshotsringout.TheFordGranada KilmerStreetin Daytonand41-year-oldWendellSimpsonlaterdiedfromthegunshotwounds. Warren,whocametothesceneonhis moped, agreed to a police interview, waived his rights and volunteered to havehishandsswabbedforgunshotre-

PaulDaugherty Cincinnati NETWORK

Thisrun isn’tsome kindof afluke Theseguyssimply aren’tflusteredatall

flukeThereisnomagicinvolved,no ledbyahotquarterbackwho,by theway,wassackedninemoretimes Saturday. Forget everything you thoughtyouknewaboutCinderella. Thisain’tthat. Thisisjusthowitis. The Cincinnati Bengals are this good.Howgood?Goodenoughtobeat thetop-seededTennesseeTitansin theirownbuilding.Resilientenoughto surviveblowinga10-pointleadinthe thirdquarter,whileJoeBurrowwas gettingcriminallyrag-dolledbytheTitansdefense.Ninesackswasanugly byproductofabrute-ifulgame. Yeah, good enough to be so far “aheadofschedule,’’youcouldn’tfind themwithWAZE.TheBengalsaregoingtotheAFCChampionshipGame.

SeeDAUGHERTY Page3C

scored first touchdown the game. BengalsOnSaturdayatNissanStadium,the beattheTitans,19-16,toadvancetotheAFCChampionshipGame. TheBengalswillplayintheirfirstAFC titlegamesincethe1988season.They’ll getthechancebecauseBurrowandthe Bengalsdefenseareequallytough. miracleItwasamiraclefinishfittingfora season.With20seconds in thefourthquarter,Bengalslinebacker LoganWilsonpickedoffTitansquarterbackRyanTannehill.Onthefollowing play, Burrow delivered again under highInagamewherehetookacareerfinalninesacks,Burrowdeliveredinthe wideseconds.Witha19-yardthrowto receiverJa’MarrChase,BurrowputtheBengalsinfield-goalrange.

fieldEvanMcPhersonmadea51-yard game,goalatthebuzzertowinthe andnowtheBengalswillgeta shot AFCtitle. rowOverthecourseoftheseason,BurPeytonhasbeencomparedtoTomBrady, Montana.Manning,DrewBreesandJoe ThiswasBurrow’smoment, andhediditinagamewheremost quarterbackswouldhavehadnothing leftinthe Hisone-of-a-kindskill ishisabilitytorespondtopressure. blockOnSaturday,theBengalscouldn’t chanceforBurrow.Hedidn’tgetthe foramemory-makingdeep passtowidereceiverJa’MarrChase. Burrowwasrunningforhislifeat times,buttheBengalspulledahead becauseofhiswillingnesstotakeone

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A MONUMENTAL SEASON CAPTURED

Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Markus Bailey greets fans at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, on Dec. 19. ALBERT CESARE/THE ENQUIRER

Tyler Boyd catches a touchdown in the second quarter of the AFC Wild Card playoff game against Las Vegas at Paul Brown Stadium on Jan. 15. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

Quarterback Joe Burrow reacts after reading the words on his hat after the AFC Championship game. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

QB Joe Burrow is sacked during the AFC Divisional Round playoff game against Tennessee on Jan. 22. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

QB Joe Burrow throws a touchdown to tight end C.J Uzomah against Jacksonville on Sept. 30. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

Quarterback Joe Burrow is tackled by Green Bay free safety Darnell Savage (26) on Oct. 10. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

Hill gets the sack on Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger at Heinz Field on Sept. 26. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

Receiver Ja’Marr Chase is tackled by Cleveland cornerback Greg Newsome II at Paul Brown Stadium on Nov. 7. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

Kicker Evan McPherson and punter Kevin Huber celebrate the game-winning field goal in overtime during the AFC Championship game against the Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Jan. 30. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

Wide receiver Tee Higgins catches a touchdown pass over Pittsburgh cornerback James Pierre on Nov. 28. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

Los Angeles Chargers safety Nasir Adderley (24) defends a pass intended for Bengals tight end C.J Uzomah at Paul Brown Stadium on Dec. 5. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

Defensive tackle Josh Tupou pressures Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins on Sept. 12. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

Receiver Ja’Marr Chase catches a touchdown pass in the back of the end zone against San Francisco on Dec. 12. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/ENQUIRER

AFC Championship

at Kansas City Chiefs

Context: The Chiefs were seeking a third straight Super Bowl appearance, and the Bengals were trying to get back to the big game for the first time since 1989.

What happened: In an almost mirror image of the Week 17 game, the Chiefs led early and seemed to have an opportunity to take control just before halftime. A dominant defensive performance in the second half propelled the Bengals to a 27-24 win thanks to an Evan McPherson field goal in overtime.

What it meant: Picked before the season to finish last in the division, the Bengals made the third Super Bowl in franchise history thanks to an opportunistic defense and offense that executed when most needed.

Joe Burrow became the first No. 1 overall pick at quarterback to make the Super Bowl within his first two seasons.

SuperBowl! Canyou believeit? PaulDaugherty Columnist CincinnatiEnquirer

KANSAS Forthefirst sinceJan.8,1989, CincinnatiBengalscanuttertwowordsunfamiliarto morethanagenerationoftheirfans. Super.Bowl. Saythatagain.Seehowitrollsoff thetongue smoothlyandtriumphant.Super.Bowl. Atthismoment,nophraseinourlittleRepublicsoundsbetter.Noneis moreloadedwithjoyandpossibility andpassion.Withinthosetwowords arelifetimesofloyaltyandfutilityand hopefulnessandemptinessandfinally,thesortofemotionalrescuethat onlysuffererscanknow. Super.Bowl.youbelieveit? I mean, you do believe. You wouldn’thavehungaroundforthe past33yearsifyoudidn’t.Butright SeeDAUGHERTY

WhenCincinnatiBengalsheadcoachZacTaylorcalled quarterbackJoeBurrowonthenightofthe2020 NFLDraft,Tayloronlywaitedafewsecondsbefore hecutto chase. TaylortoldBurrow,thequarerbackwhohadcompetedforchampionshipshisentirefootballlife, hattheBengalsweremakingthispickwiththeexpectationthatthe engalscouldmakeittotheSuperBowl. t’sthetypeofmessagethatcould havemadeadifferentquarterbackfeel ressure.ButwithBurrow,itwasa essageinlinewith massiveexpectationsthathavebeenplacedon shouldersince underlassmanatAthensHighSchool. aylor boldusingthewords SuperBowl.” thetime,theBengals hadn’tplayedinthatgamesincethe 988season.TheBengalswerecoming atwo-winyearwith agingroster ndfewlong-termpieces place.It ookedlikeasteepclimbtothetopof

KelseyConwayCincinnati NETWORK ANSASCITY

The Cincinnati Bengals defeated theKansasCityChiefsinovertimeto advancetoSuperBowlLVIinLosAngeles.Veteransafety nBellpicked offChiefs’quarterbackPatrickMaonthefirst seriesof overtime givetheBengalstheball backwith chancetoendthegame. EvanMcPhersonknockeda31-yard fieldgoalthroughtheuprightstogive theBengalsa27-24victoryoverthe reigningAFCChampions.“Wehaveaspecialteam,”Taylor saidfollowingthegame.“We’renot doneyet.”WhatwelearnedfromtheBengals’ AFC Championship win over the Chiefs: Defenseleadsmiraculous second-halfturnaround TheBengalstrailed21-3atonepoint inthefirsthalfandrightbeforetheend ofthesecondquarter,cornerbac Applemadeatackle TyreekHill preventtheChiefsfromscoringand

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Why Do I Hear... But Not Understand?

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“We are employing a like method using speech in noise procedure”, said Lowell Scott of Acute Hearing. “This test simulates hearing in a noisy crowd. We are able to achieve maximum speech understanding by frequency shaping this new hearing aid.”

The results have been phenomenal. Acute Hearing Centers is offering this new frequency-shaping hearing instrument on a 30-day satisfaction trial. “Your satisfaction is absolutely guaranteed,” Scott said.

If you hear, but are having trouble understanding conversation, take advantage of the complimentary demonstrations offered this week Call Acute Hearing Centers today to schedule your no-obligation appointment!

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Once in a lifetime, a product comes along that truly moves people Introducing the future of battery-powered personal transportation . . . The Zinger.

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The Enquirer/Cincinnati.com will have nine journalists covering the Super Bowl for you to provide the best coverage in the region.

We’ll have photojournalists covering the daily happenings leading up to the game while writers will tell you all the thingsyouneedtoknowleadinguptothe game. It all starts with Cincinnati Bengals beat writer Kelsey Conway and pro sports writer Charlie Goldsmith. Columnist Paul Daugherty will also bring you the stories behind the scenes. Feature writer Keith Sharon has great reads daily, and city government reporter Sharon Coolidge will be covering all the Bengals fans out in Southern California cheering on the team. Here’s what they all had to say about covering the Super Bowl:

Bengals beat writer

Kelsey Conway:

I look forward to being the source of news that captureseverymomentof theBengals’journeyatthe Super Bowl. Those include the interesting story lines from Zac Taylor and Sean McVay’s connection to Andrew Whitworth’s full-circle moment and, most importantly, the story lines of how the Bengals defied so many odds to get here. It’s Joe Burrow’s first Super Bowl. Watching this young star quarterback perform in moments like this and being able to tell our readers/listeners all of the behind-the-scenes stories of how he’s able to do so. I’m looking forward to my firstandhopefullymanySuperBowlcoverages for The Enquirer.”

Follow Kelsey on Twitter

@KelseyLConway

Director of photography

Cara Owsley:

In 2002, during Super Bowl XXXVI at the Superdome in New Orleans, I was a card runner for my company’s photojournalists who shot the game. The New England Patriot defeated the St. Louis Rams, 20-17. Twenty years later, I am grateful to be going to the game as a photo editor, capturing the excitement of Bengals fans.”

FollowCaraonTwitterandInstagram @caraphoto23

Columnist Paul Daugherty:

I arrived in town in January 1988. The Bengals played in the Super Bowlalmostexactlyayear later. Like most rookies, I believed we’d be back again, soon. Three decades of wandering the wilderness later, weare.Iguessitalldependsonyourdefinition of soon.”

Follow Paul on Twitter @EnquirerDoc

Professional sports writer Charlie Goldsmith:

“For my entire life, I’ve had framed copies of The Cincinnati Enquirer’s coverage of Super Bowl XXIII. These are the moments in Cincinnati’s history that we’ll be talking about forever. I hope to capture the individual stories of the people who led the Bengals to this point, from Mike Hilton to Joe Mixon to Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. How

these people got here and what they do on this stage will be what we remember decades from now.”

Follow Charlie on Twitter @CharlieG_

Photographer Kareem Elgazzar:

“To be at the Super Bowl, as a kid from Cincinnati, is truly a privilege. Not only as a career highlight, but my job is to be there for all of you who cannot and to bring you as close to the game as I can. I take on that responsibility with great pride and will work to deliver quality, timely and iconic imagery for Cincinnatians and Bengals fans everywhere.”

Follow Kareem on Twitter @ElgazzarBLVD

Feature writer Keith Sharon:

I was born in Chillicothe, and it will be a thrill for me and all my Ohio family members if the Bengals pull off a Super Bowl victory.”

Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithSharonTN

Photographer Sam Greene:

“It’s an absolute thrill to cover the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl, especially alongside my longtime friend and photo partner, Kareem Elgazzar. Kareem and I have been covering Cincinnati sports together since 2009 in our days at The University of Cincinnati’s student paper, The News Record, and coveringaBengalsSuperBowlfeelslikethe big game we’ve been working toward ever since. Having been on paternity leave the past six weeks with my wife and our first son, I have been itching to rejointheactiverosterandbringourfollowers closer to the kind of big moments they’ve come to expect from The Enquirer and my social media feeds.”

Follow Sam on Twitter @SGDoesIt. City government reporter

Sharon Coolidge:

“This Bengals season has been a wild run. I’m excited to capture the excitement and energy in LA to share back with Cincinnati fans who have lifted this team up.”

Follow Sharon on Twitter

@SharonCoolidge and on Instagram

@SherryCoolidge

Photographer Albert Cesare:

“I can still remember watching my first Super Bowl when I was 7 then I dreamt I’d one day play in it. After becoming a photojournalist, I dreamt one day I might photograph it. That possibility seemed remote when I started out covering 7on-7 football in West Texas over a decade ago but here I am. I’m elated to finally get a chance to cover the big game.”

Follow Albert on Twitter @AlbertCesare

Cincinnati Enquirer may be the place for you. Gannett Publishing Services is looking for a high energy full-time Dock Worker to provide general support for the Distribution department by handling many of the day-to-day operational needs which includes preparing nightly paperwork, coverage in the distribution center, preparing newspapers for pick up by carriers, and delivering open routes as necessary This position is full-time shift work, Sunday-Thursday

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