Somehow, someway, Thanksgiving is next week? Not sure how we're there already considering I feel like it was just yesterday I was wiping the sweat off my face leaving a training camp practice. I guess that's what happens when you lose track of time during football season. So, with that being said when I thought about what I wanted to write for today's TML while covering the Bengals all week, I kept coming back to Thanksgiving.
Maybe it's because I still don't know what to make of the Bengals at 5-4 and have mixed feelings on Thanksgiving food, I decided to put it all together. And that's where I got to the theme of today's TML: If the Bengals players were Thanksgiving dishes, who would be what?
While you might be laughing or scoffing at the moment, when you think about all of the sides involved, it's not as easy to narrow down as you might think. So, without further ado, here's my Thanksgiving menu brought to you by the 2021 Cincinnati Bengals roster.
The turkey: Bengals defensive line
My rationale: OK, so I know to most this would probably be Joe Burrow because turkey is the main dish and Burrow is the franchise. But, here's the thing with turkeys these days. Some cook a turkey in the oven, some smoke or deep fry their turkeys, some put extra spices on their turkeys. And some even buy pre-made turkeys that just need to be heated up. There's so many different turkeys and some like it different ways. To me, that didn't quite fit Burrow and his role with the Bengals. However, it did fit Cincinnati's defensive line, though. And no, not just because it's a position group full of players who really enjoy food. The Bengals' defensive line to me is the main dish and what I mean by that is it's a group that shows up every week without fail. You can't have Thanksgiving without a turkey. Cincinnati wouldn't be 5-4 without the play of its defensive line. The unit is full of hungry, motivated individuals who have been really good. Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, D.J. Reader and Larry Ogunjobi have all played some of their best football and are working well together. Without those four, I'm not sure what the Bengals would be on defense. Hence, why they to me are the turkey.
Mashed potatoes: Joe Burrow
My rationale: Of all the sides on Thanksgiving I thought to myself, what is the side that every table has and is made the same way every time? That to me is mashed potatoes and why I directly correlate Burrow to this side. Everyone who watches Bengals games, regardless of if they win or lose, walks away saying Burrow is the future of the franchise. No one questions if he can carry this team to the postseason. He is the biggest star in Cincinnati. I'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't like mashed potatoes and that's similar to how Bengals fans, his teammates and coaches and the rest of the NFL feels about Burrow and his future. Mashed potatoes are the most clutch side in my opinion because at the end of the day, most everyone at the table will have this side on their table. And I'd be willing to guess most NFL coaches and players wish Burrow was their quarterback.
Green bean casserole: Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates
My rationale: Before you instantly disagree with me, here me out on my logic for this one. You could argue green bean casserole is the healthiest dish of a Thanksgiving meal. Meaning, you feel really good about this dish internally. That's how I feel about the Bengals' safety duo. Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell are good and you never have to worry about them. Although they haven't played their best so far this season, you feel good about Bates and Bell in the secondary. They make sure everyone is lined up You need vegetables in your diet on a daily basis for many reasons health wise and the Bengals need Bates and Bell in a similar way -- reliable, good locker room guys and both talented. Also, green beans is the best vegetable.
The dinner rolls: Joe Mixon
My rationale: Dinner rolls are a necessity at Thanksgiving, if you ask me. I don't care what brand, how big or small, give me all of the dinner rolls. No matter where you get them or where you're eating them, you can count on the rolls to do the job. That's how I view Joe Mixon's role to the Bengals. It's not always flashy but he always gets the job done and does the dirty work with little credit most of the time. How often do we finish dinner and say, wow those rolls were really good? Sometimes the Bengals wide receivers get so much attention, it's easy to forget about Mixon. But no matter if he gets the attention or not, you can never count Mixon out and he always shows up. No matter the climate.
Stuffing: Tyler Boyd
My rationale: Sometimes stuffing is hit or miss. People either really love stuffing or don't touch it. To me, stuffing is who I correlate Tyler Boyd with. He's really good if you ask me, he's the most consistent wide receiver in the AFC North. The reason I think he's stuffing is not a negative. I think of it more like when you get a really good stuffing, it's usually everyone's favorite side. When Boyd gets involved in the Bengals' offensive game plan early and often, usually good things follow. He's as consistent as they come and it's really hard to mess up stuffing in my opinion. Sometimes, Boyd hasn't been a factor in Cincinnati's offense this season due to the emersion of rookie star Ja'Marr Chase. But at the end of the day, no matter if Boyd touches the ball or not, defense's will always account for Boyd. And if they don't, he'll take advantage of it. Similar to stuffing, don't get too full you forget about stuffing.
Apple pie: Ja'Marr Chase
My rationale: After the main course, just when you don't think you have any room in your stomach, there's always room for pie. That's Ja'Marr Chase in the Bengals offense. Just when you think you have the Cincinnati's offense figured out, Joe Burrow scrambles to find Chase 50 yards down the field. Chase has become the really sweet treat you look forward to watching (and eating if it's pie) all day. He's been electric and a big-play threat at all times. And he's just getting started. I look at it this way: Chase in his rookie season is like the first homemade apple pie you make for the first time. The more you make it (the more he plays), the better it's going to get.
I debated on if I were to include other dishes on this menu but nothing really stuck like those mentioned above. I'd love to hear if you agree or disagree with my Thanksgiving thoughts.
SPEAKING OF THE BENGALS, I'm having a really hard time picking this game against the Raiders. At first thought, I want to give the Bengals the benefit of the doubt as I think they have more talent on offense than the Raiders do. But, I think it's going to be a tough atmosphere to play in and if Cincinnati gets down early and Las Vegas can start dialing up the pressure with their dynamic pass rushing duo, I don't like the Bengals chances. The key will be starting fast and eliminating turnovers on offense (I'm looking at you Joe Burrow) and wouldn't an interception or forced fumble be nice to see on defense? We shall see. Prediction: Bengals 27, Raiders: 21
AND ABOUT THOSE CINCINNATI BEARCATS, for those who don't know by now, I'm a proud Cincinnati Bearcats alum. And no, I'm not shocked they haven't been put in the top-four in the college football playoff rankings. Although I'm a fan, I'm a realist and cover football for a living. The way the Bearcats played against Navy and Tulsa was ugly and left me questioning how good this team really is. But with that being said, if the Bearcats win out and win the AAC, I think they get in and who knows what could happen from there. It's an exciting time to be back in Cincinnati and watch Luke Fickell's squad every week after years of not being able to follow the team as closely as I would have hoped.
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