Cincy Jungle
It’s hard not to love a good underdog story.
Neither Trey nor Shemar have signed — or, in Hendrickson’s case, agreed to a new extension — and the Cincinnati Bengals are officially on summer break. That means there’s nothing to talk about.
So let’s talk about something happy.
Everyone loves an underdog. When I watch an NFL game, I always root for the team whose win would help the Bengals most. But if that’s not on the line, I’ll always pull for the underdog. I don’t care at all about most NFC teams, but if it’s a Thursday night game between, say, the Cardinals and the Cowboys, you better believe I’m rooting for the Cardinals (never the Browns, though — let’s not get carried away).
There’s something deeply satisfying about watching a team down on its luck rise up and punch a contender in the mouth. It’s why we say “any given Sunday,” and it’s a big part of what makes the NFL great.
Bengals fans have an all-timer in that department: the night Ryan Finley led a 2-10-1 Bengals team to a Monday Night Football win over the 11-2 Steelers. Cincinnati handed Pittsburgh its third straight loss and gave us this glorious image:
And this absolute gem:
It goes for players, too.
Who doesn’t love an undrafted free agent who takes the league by storm? Domata Peko, a seventh-round pick, became a rock on the Bengals’ defensive line for a decade. Vontaze Burfict? Undrafted, overlooked, and built for a different era — maybe one where attempted homicide was legal between whistles. But let’s be honest: when he was making plays, you were on your feet.
So let’s hear it:
Who are your favorite Bengals underdog players or moments?
Is there a particular game from a lost season that still makes you smile?
Which long-shot player won your heart the fastest — and why?
Talk amongst yourselves.
It’s the eye of the tiger, it’s the thrill of the fight
Risin’ up to the challenge of our rival
And the las known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he’s watching us all with the eye of the tiger
