Cincy Jungle
We have a responsibility to save our children. They’re the most vulnerable people in our society, and it’s downright irresponsible to introduce them to the Cincinnati Bengals.
It’s too late for me. It’s too late for us—if you’re here and you’re reading this, you’re part of the “us.”
But it’s not too late for them.
I’ve made my bed, and now I’ll sleep in it. I really, really hope that before my permanent rest comes, the Bengals reach the peak of the mountain so I can rest comfortably in the bed I’ve made for myself.
I fear that’s not going to be in the cards.
So I’ve decided that while I won’t push my kids away from the Bengals—especially if they come into the fold of their own volition (in that case, I’ll save a spot on the couch, and in the loony bin, for them)—I also won’t force it.
If my son comes home one day and tells me he hopes the Patriots win the Super Bowl because he’s not going to subject himself to the pain and frustration Bengals fans endure, I won’t stop him. I might even encourage it. If my daughter says she wants to root for the Rams, I’ll tell her the Rams are a good choice, and I’ll share in her joy when they win (unless they’re playing Cincinnati).
As long as it’s not the Steelers, Browns, or Ravens.
Or the Chiefs.
Now then—that was about the worst ending the Bengals could have asked for to wrap up this turd of a season. Well, that’s not entirely true. Had a major contributor been injured, putting their 2026 season in jeopardy, that would have been the true worst-case scenario.
Thankfully, that didn’t happen.
What did happen is the Bengals showed up at home against the 4–12 Browns, led by Shedeur Sanders, and decided to lose in front of their own fans. This was a failure on both sides of the ball. The Browns’ defense scored two touchdowns—one pick-six and one scoop-and-score—and after the Bengals’ offense managed to put the team up by a single point with 1:29 remaining, the defense allowed Sanders to march Cleveland into field-goal range.
After the game, Zac Taylor said the ending was a “little bit fitting” for such a crap season, which is something I don’t think a head coach should be saying—unless he knows his job is 100% safe.
In the wake of the season’s end and Black Monday, Bengals ownership released a statement confirming what we already knew: they aren’t moving on from Taylor or de facto general manager Duke Tobin, and they believe the duo still gives the Bengals their best chance to win a championship.
We know different.
So how do you feel as the 2025 season ends and we transition into the offseason? Are you fully disenfranchised? Are you planning to take a step back, or will it take more before the rot really sets in?
Sound off. I genuinely want to know.
Random thoughts...
