Finally.
These are the Bengals you expected.
Three in a row. Five of six. Seven of nine.
The Bengals are trending. They beat Tennessee on Sunday and face Kansas City next. Sound familiar? They finished their run to the Super Bowl that way, too.Remember how satisfying that was?
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The Super Bowl meant more to you because of all that had happened since the last one. If three decades of misery led you to the payoff of a lifetime, if 2-14 brought Joe Burrow to the Bengals, then maybe the journey was worth it. If nothing else, you could appreciate the Bengals for what they did and what they gave you.
What if you can channel some of that now?
What if the pain of 0-2 and the fright of Halloween Night at Cleveland can help you better appreciate the latest run?
What if the Bengals needed 0-2 and Fright Night to regroup, adapt and become the team they are now?
What if the Bengals are better off for all their losses?
@GabeWilmes: “I like that we struggled a little in the beginning because now we got underdog vibes again slowly building momentum to prove we can play with the best consistently.”
@Watjalukinat: “Feels like a locomotive who took time to get up to speed but now would take a ton to slow it let alone stop it.”
@Hypeforstripes: “They are the best, most versatile team in the NFL.”
* * * * *
Those were some of the responses Monday in our weekly day-after-game Twitter session, when I asked how different you are feeling about your Bengals now at 7-4.
You entered the season with high expectations, including talking Super Bowl return and a win this time.
And now?
@Danieldubs: “I feel the same as I Did prior to week 1 ... take away Burrow (dealing with his first game action since a burst appendix) and we’re 9-2 ... (considering) the first game he was clearly not right ... (then) was getting healthy by week 2 but his Oline was still playing terrible.”
@DowdyBoi100: “Plays away from being 11-0.”
We all like to do that.
Is it realistic?
If Burrow were in full Burrow-ness, would the Bengals really have won either or both opening games? And would the Bengals really be 9-2 or 10-1 now?
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And if the Browns hadn’t tipped and then intercepted the ball on the opening drive, would the Bengals have beaten Cleveland? And would they be 11-0 now?
Consider the words of Washington quarterback Sammy Baugh after losing 73-0 to Chicago in the 1940 NFL Championship Game. The Bears had led 7-0 when Charley Malone dropped a sure Baugh touchdown pass in the end zone, and Baugh was asked after the game whether that made a difference. There are various versions of his response, but it was essentially this:
“Yeah,” Baugh said, “It would have been 73-7.”
What happens on one play certainly can affect the next and can change a game. We might never know the true impact on the final result. Also, what happens in one game absolutely can affect the next and can change a team. We see it all the time. Even a loss can be a positive, if a team needed it to learn and make meaningful changes.
What if that’s what happened to the Bengals?
* * * * *
Naturally, shattering the over-under of 9.5 wins already would have been preferable. What if you let it go? What if you reframe what “success” is for these Bengals? What if their real success comes from their journey, learning what does and doesn’t work, to explode to 7-4?
What if they are a better team now than the one that started the season? What if Burrow and the offense have evolved? What if the NFL adapted to the Bengals, and the Bengals have adapted in return?
What if they are not the same team that reached the Super Bowl, but now they are better prepared to make their own postseason run?
And what if we are better prepared to appreciate them now for who they are and what have done, instead of lament what they did not do?
What if we looked at the wins that got away as reason for hope instead of hopelessness?
@Danieldubs pointed out that Burrow in the opener still managed to lead the Bengals to a touchdown and apparent win with two seconds left until the tiebreaking extra point was blocked ... and that Burrow did it without receiver Tee Higgins, who had suffered a concussion.
The Bengals were THISclose before losing on three walkoff field goals, Fright Night was brutal, but it still was early. The Bengals had time to evolve, and so could your expectations. And now there is win after win after win.
Which is why 7-4 can leave you feeling different about your Bengals now.
@Zzadoc: “Better.”
@Soufsidedev: “Better than last year(‘s) team.”
@BengalsTwisty: “I still think this is a better team than we had last year. Anything can happen in the playoffs. Hopefully we get some home games.”
@Datdakdude21: “Get Up says Bengals are dangerous. I agree. JB is money.”
@GratefulRed19: “Anyone who (has) orange stripes on their schedule to finish the year is not looking forward to that game.”
@Wookiee4ND: “We running it back!!!!!”
* * * * *
Ja’Marr Chase might be back this week, and Burrow has kept the offense going without him. Joe Mixon might be back soon, too, and Samaje Perine has stepped up in his place. DJ Reader returned Sunday, and the Bengals held Derrick Henry to 38 yards rushing.
@Jeff_crouch: “I’m in awe of how well the defense handled #Henry, I can’t wait for Sunday!!”
Looking ahead is what we do.
How we feel now is relative to what we might feel next.
@BengalsHead: “Good but I’ll feel way better when we are 8-4 next week.”
@Shanghai_kid902: “Would feel much better at 8-4.”
@ImNostraThomas: “Such a better world than 6-5 with KC next up.”
That is gratitude.
A little stress is normal. You don’t want to lose the momentum. Winning Sunday is not essential to making the playoffs, but it would help. Every win does.
@Bob_bobby234: “I dunno, tuff schedule ahead, but I feel better.”
@Mattdotmarshall: “Still a little skeptical about it, but hey, we'll see how the rest of the season goes. I think they can squeak thru with 2 losses and a wild card spot.”
@Fan_unfiltered: “Feel like this years 7-4 team is better then last year's 7-4 team. Tougher schedule for sure but I'm feeling good about our chances Sunday and our chances for the playoffs. With 9 (Burrow), you are never out of it.”
* * * * *
Some of you claim that you never lost faith, that you feel no different about the Bengals now.
@CarolMajewski2: “I've been a believer all year!!”
@KRLaw777: “Literally the same way I felt when they started the season 0-2. This team is different from years past! They give you a reason to be or optimistic and believe!!!”
@Bengaljims_BTR: “Same as I did game one… optimistic!”
That last one came from superfan Bengal Jim Foster. I DM’d him, and he explained that just as he celebrates a win and quickly moves on, he reflects on a loss and moves on, even the three close ones. He figured the Bengals had time to recover and would, realizes the team still has some issues – because every team does – and forecasts what the Bengals still need to do.
“3 more wins,” he wrote, “and we r in the playoffs!”
The path might be difficult, but splitting their last six games seems possible, especially the way this team is playing. The playoffs seem a reasonable goal. We see that now.
That stress you feel now might be eustress instead of distress, the butterflies a quarterback feels before the big game. Eustress is positive.
Imagine if the Bengals can beat the 9-2 Chiefs. Imagine the message that would send to the NFL. And to you.
Your expectations might change again.
This could get interesting.
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