The 2021 Cincinnati Bengals schedule is set and it is clear that the league doesn’t think they’ll be much fun to watch. That could be due to schedule difficulty, low expectations, or other factors. Their lone primetime game comes on a Thursday night, which every team gets. Thus, leaving many Bengals fans upset. That train of thought is understandable, but is it all that bad for this year? Here are some reasons why it may be a positive going into this crucial campaign.
Cincinnati Bengals Schedule: No Primetime? No Problem.
Reason One: Joe Burrow thrives with a chip on his shoulder.
Starting quarterback Joe Burrow personifies Ohio grit. That is one of the reasons he was such a great fit with this organization in 2020. From a region with a chip on its shoulder, comes a quarterback with the same thing. That attitude can be traced back to his days at Athen’s High School in southeast Ohio. Burrow is on record discussing his lack of major offers and the motivation that he garnered from it. Deep family ties to Nebraska made it no secret that Burrow wanted to suit up for the Cornhuskers. Unfortunately for him, they didn’t share the same sentiment. Actually, the folks in Lincoln passed on Burrow not once, but twice. An interesting quote from head coach Scott Frost made headlines after the second passing.
The snub by his childhood team didn’t stop him, though. A full ride to the Huskers’ Big Ten rival, Ohio State wasn’t a bad consolation prize. Burrow still ended up at a national power, but the adversity didn’t stop there. A mix of injuries and a deep quarterback room lead to Burrow never playing significant snaps for the Buckeyes. The decision to name Dwayne Haskins the starter led to the now-famous transfer to Baton Rouge.
Rest assured, he headed to attack the SEC with a point to prove.
How does this translate to the lack of primetime exposure?
Simply put, Burrow is a guy that finds anything and everything he can to use as motivation. He sees networks that don’t seem to want him in their premier slots. His mission will undoubtedly be to make them change their thinking in a hurry.
Reason Two: The Bengals haven’t had great media coverage lately
This off-season was another filled with investing in their bottom 10 ranked defense. It also saw the addition of veteran offensive tackle signing fans begged for, albeit in the latter days of free agency. Even then, the talking heads on the sports network weren’t all too pleased with the team’s off-season approach. Most (if not all) of that can be attributed to not making the big splash on the offensive line. After that fateful November Sunday in D.C., the focus was rarely elsewhere.
For the simple fact of the off-season being so widely criticized by the big-name networks, keeping the national spotlight off of the team may relieve some pressure. The players, coaches, and fans won’t be under as large of a microscope as our revamped roster takes the field this fall. The team that frequents the 1pm slot on Sunday typically doesn’t get a ton of airtime from the Monday morning “experts” on the television. Until they can no longer be ignored.
Reason Three: The Bengals schedule means well-rested fans
For many fans, there’s no sleeping for hours after the game. Most are either riding the high of a big win or trying to find answers after a gut-wrenching loss. Either way, the winding down process is not a quick one. Checking in on post-game pressers, scrolling Twitter for the thoughts of one’s favorite analyst(s), and at times, watching the game over is commonplace for Who Dey Nation. Sure, none of us mind staying up until midnight to watch our boys in stripes battle it out, but the morning after maybe a bit rough. Fans will gladly take a groggy Monday or Tuesday morning in exchange for watching the team, but this is a small perk of the Bengals’ schedule this year for the average fan.
The Message: Let them sleep, their play will wake them up
All in all, one’s favorite team being on the biggest stages of NFL football is an exciting feeling, and taking the lack of primetime spots as a sign of disrespect is understandable. The good news is, the disrespect can lead to the pride one feels when the NFL world begins to take notice.
With the NFL flex scheduling rules being tweaked a bit, there is no guarantee to be in the saturated Sunday afternoon slot all season.
Burrow throwing to his college buddy Ja’Marr Chase and the return of bell-cow running back Joe Mixon could be just the wake-up call networks need. The key is for the fireworks to be consistent.
A motivated franchise quarterback, a beefed-up defensive line, a pricy secondary and several offensive line moves didn’t make the Bengals an offseason media darling. However, it could be just enough to turn the lights back on in Cincinnati.
If the anticipated offensive explosion happens, the team will garner more primetime games moving forward.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
