Cincy Jungle
“Hope is not a plan.”
I hear people use that phrase a lot when talking about the Bengals, and it always confuses me. After all, as fans, the only plans we make are where to watch the game and what’s on the menu. Hope is all we have.
In terms of the actual team, I would say “belief” is a better word.
Belief is one of the most important things they can have. This is not the Bengals team of a year ago. They are tougher, physically and mentally.
This team didn’t flinch when Joe Burrow went down. They didn’t quit when Jake Browning threw three interceptions. They aren’t going to hang it up because QB1 went on IR.
They will keep fighting, and if God-willing, Burrow returns, they could still be in a position to compete for a championship. This is largely because the Bengals did what they had never done under Zac Taylor and started the season 2-0.
That gives me hope, and as long as the team still believes, they’ve got a chance.
If Burrow is out for 3 months, that would leave 4 weeks left in the season. If they still have a positive record when number nine returns to the field, they’ll still be in it, and because they have a two-game buffer, they’ve got a real shot at this.
Burrow’s potential 3-month absence is a 12-week period in which they play 11 games.
Let’s break it down into thirds.
Over the next four weeks, the Bengals are on the road against the Vikings, Broncos, and Packers, and have the Lions at home. This was always going to be a tough stretch.
Going into the season, I was thinking they’d go 2-2 in these four games, and I still believe they can do it.
They start with the Vikings (September 21st). They have not been the team I was expecting them to be, and now they will be without their starting quarterback. Adding to this game’s winnability is the fact that it comes just before the Vikings go full Clark W. Griswald by taking a two-week European vacation with games in Ireland and London. Minnesota may not have its head in the game on Sunday, creating the opportunity for a road win for Cincy.
The following week, the Bengals travel to Denver for a matchup on Monday Night Football (September 29th). The Broncos have an excellent defense that will be tough to beat at Mile High, but they did just lose to the Colts, so who knows?
The Lions (October 5th) at home is a must-win. They have some talent, but they have two new coordinators, and the shine is off those silver helmets. With this stretch of hard road games, the Bengals need to pull this one off at home.
After that, they go to Green Bay (October 12th), and that squad is rolling right now. The Packers will be a huge test for the Bengals’ defense, and they...
