Cincy Jungle
One of the best parts of the Bengals’ win over the Steelers Thursday night is seeing the relationship between the Bengals’ fanbase and Andrew Whitworth. It looks like that relationship is strong, which was great to see, nearly 9 years after Whitworth left in free agency.
The four-time Pro Bowler and two-time First-Team All-Pro has been critical of the Bengals’ organization over the years, but he still cares about them and the city of Cincinnati. That’s what’s always been great about Andrew Whitworth; he’s honest, but he has a big heart for where he came from and cares about the team that drafted him and he played 11 seasons for.
Thursday night, Whitworth was the Ruler of the Jungle, and he embraced it with full force. He mentioned earlier in the week that he was really happy to see the Bengals trade for Joe Flacco, which is no small storyline. For as critical of the Bengals as Whitworth was over the years, his being happy about something they don’t normally do was crucial.
The way Whitworth fired up the crowd and was cheering them on during the game was awesome, and Bengals fans reciprocated his passion. That matters because Whitworth is one of the greatest Bengals’ offensive linemen and players in team history. It’s great to see that there is still a strong positive relationship between him and Bengals’ fans. That was evidenced by Bengals’ fans chanting his name during the Prime Video postgame show.
Speaking of the postgame show, the number of fans that stayed to cheer on Joe Flacco when he came out to Prime Video’s set was awesome. Here’s a quarterback who arrived just nine days before Thursday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Bengals’ fans cheering him on during the postgame show made it seem like he had been here in Cincinnati for way longer than 9 days.
Flacco is a very easy player to root for. He can relate to anybody, and I think he’s going to be a helpful asset to Joe Burrow. For as great as Joe Burrow is, it almost feels like he has been flying blind through the first five+ seasons of his career. Both on and off the field, he’s had to carry the Bengals organization—and his fast-growing fame.
Enter Joe Flacco, a 40-year-old father of four and former Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP. He’s the best quarterback Burrow has had in the Bengals’ quarterback room besides himself. Flacco has played a lot of football and has a lot of experience and wisdom that can help even the most advanced IQs in the NFL, like Joe Burrow’s.
When he was with the Ravens, Flacco had a great offensive line and running game protecting him. He also had a great defense complementing him and the Ravens’ offense. Particularly on offense, he’s adaptable to playing different ways with the Bengals. Burrow likes to primarily be in the shotgun, but what if Flacco can get him to understand that...
