Tuesday Trenches: Victory Soup for the Soul

That was the first feel-good win of the season.

The Cincinnati Bengals won on Sunday, and in doing so have reignited the fire in the fan base. They’re just a game under .500 and are reportedly actively looking to bolster their roster before Tuesday’s 4 PM trade deadline (again…. reportedly. I’d love to be proven wrong, but I don’t buy it).

It wasn’t just the fact they won, though. They beat the Browns, the Giants and the Panthers, all three bad teams. The Raiders are bad too. The difference between this win over a bad team and those is this one was dominating.

The Bengals finally had that win where they put it all together. They dominated the Raiders in all three phases of the game. For the first time this year, they not only beat a team they should beat, but they beat them badly.

And they did it at home.

After all the Bengals fans have been through in their own stadium, this was the win they deserved.

This win was good for the soul of the team and the fan base. This is what we thought they would look like when the season started. The team we saw on Sunday can beat the Ravens.

They can beat anyone.

Some thoughts:

• Jermaine Burton missed the team’s walkthrough on Saturday, thus Zac Taylor made him a healthy scratch in a game where the Bengals were not only missing Tee Higgins, but Charlie Jones. It worked out, but it’s very possible it could have gone differently. What if Mike Gesicki had trouble getting open? What if the run game didn’t work? Burton could have helped. It’s clear there are some major maturity issues, which the Bengals were fully aware of before they selected him in the third round. I hope he’s embarrassed, and I hope he uses this as a learning opportunity and grows from it. It would be a shame if the Bengals wasted a day-two pick on a player who would willingly waste the obvious talent he’s blessed with.
• I would love to have overheard this exchange:

• Chase Brown is going to be a special runner. He hits the hole at full speed and it’s clear if he gets a seam, he can turn a four-yard gain into an explosive play.
• Trey Hendrickson leads the NFL in sacks with 11, and was playing like a man possessed on Sunday. On top of his four sacks, PFF credited him with three hits and two hurries. Imagine what could happen if the defense got some consistent pressure from the other edge.
• Without Higgins, it was Mike Gesicki that stepped up again. He led the team with 100 yards and two touchdowns. I would like to see the revolving door stop here. It’s clear Burrow and Gesicki have some chemistry. With Erick All’s injury, it could be good to keep Gesicki in Cincinnati for at least another season.
• This was a big tight end game. We even got a Drew Sample touchdown, which is always a delight.
• I’m assuming we may see Tanner McLachlan activated now that the Bengals’ tight end room is down one man.
• Brown acted as a bell-cow back on Sunday, and he ended up with 27 carries and five receptions. If he can hold up through an entire season with those numbers, then the Bengals struck gold in the fifth round. If not, it’s okay. They just need to get someone in there to help carry the load. Maybe it can be Trayveon Williams. Maybe not.
• When Maxx Crosby jumped offsides and then still planted Burrow in the ground, I was SHOCKED there wasn’t at least one offensive lineman in his face. I want to see a little more fight from this team.
• Crosby didn’t go against Cody Ford a single time. He stayed at his normal spot, working against the right tackle, for almost the entire game. In that time, rookie offensive tackle Amarius Mims only allowed two hurries. Not bad for the rookie. I think they got a good one.
• Burrow was a surgeon on Sunday. Outside of his one interception, he absolutely shredded the Raiders secondary and worked the pocket like a magician. What an incredible performance from him.
• The fact he looked so angry while it was happening shows where he’s at. I think an angry Burrow might be scary for the rest of the league.

—

There are a lot of different types of leaders on the football field. We’ve seen a ton of them. There are the quiet leaders, who fall on the sword when things go wrong. That was Carson Palmer. He wasn’t a ra-ra guy, but when things went bad, he took the blame. When things went well, he said it was a team effort.

There are guys who let their play do the talking. There are a ton of examples like this. Remember the way Larry Fitzgerald was? He was a leader and he didn’t make a big spectacle about it. I think Burrow typically falls into this category too.

And then you have the vocal leaders. Guys like Ray Lewis or Drew Brees or Tom Brady. These are the guys that get everyone pumped up and ready to win. Burrow stepped out in front of the locker room and told everyone to get their minds and bodies right before Thursday Night Football. He wasn’t screaming it, but you could hear the intensity in his voice (and choice of words). Burrow is young and is still evolving. If he is able to becoming more of a vocal leader for this team, it would benefit everyone.

This game on Thursday is huge, and a win could turn into something really special in the last back half of the season.

Relevant Song Lyrics:

And did you think this fool could never win?
Well, look at me, I’m a-comin’ back agian!
I got a taste of love in a simple way
And if you need to know while I’m still standin’
You just fade away