At the beginning of the 2021 NFL season, not many people thought the Cincinnati Bengals could win the AFC North. On Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium, the Bengals did just that by defeating the Kansas City Chiefs to punch their ticket to the postseason. The Bengals overcame a 14 point deficit three times and inched to within 11 points at 28-17 before halftime. In the second half, Cincinnati’s offense caught fire with help from a monster performance from Ja’Marr Chase. Chase might have just won the Rookie of the Year award after torching the Chiefs defense for 266 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Joe Burrow was also incredible for the second consecutive week throwing for 446 yards with four touchdowns to put him squarely in the NFL MVP discussion.
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Cincinnati Bengals Clinch AFC North by Defeating Kansas City Chiefs
Just Trust Me
The Burrow and Chase connection has been special all season long. In the biggest game of the year with the division on the line, that connection lifted the Bengals to the AFC North title. The trust Burrow has in Chase was on full display against the Chiefs.
266 yards on the DEY for Ja'Marr. That's a team record for receiving yards in a game.
Watch on CBS pic.twitter.com/s7clFfPQEY
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 2, 2022
On 3rd & 27, this play truly encapsulates what makes Chase so special. The speed, the ball tracking skills, the late hands at the perfect moment all are aspects that make him elite. The Bengals hit a home run by pairing Burrow and Chase together for many years to come.
Joey B MVP
Since the Bengals bye in week 10, Burrow has played at an MVP level. In the last two games, with so much at stake, he’s been the best quarterback in the NFL.
QB No. 9's last two games ⤵
971 yards
8 TDs
0 INTs
145.6 passer ratingVote for @JoeyB for @FedEx Air Player of the Week for the second time in a row ➡ https://t.co/BI3SWpvDtB pic.twitter.com/msgoaEJSil
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 3, 2022
Burrow means everything to the city of Cincinnati and its NFL franchise. Burrow has all the traits you’d want to represent your team. These qualities have lifted the Bengals the entire season. Now, they are playing their best football and getting hot at the most important time of the year. Burrow thinks of championships, not division titles and the Bengals seem to be arriving a year ahead of schedule.
Zac Taylor’s Time
Zac Taylor has gotten a good amount of heat in league circles for his record the last two seasons. The Bengals ownership group is very patient and they are seeing the fruits of this patience pay dividends this season. Taylor has truly built this team in his vision while getting solid free agents to join the team. Defensive end and Cincinnati native Sam Hubbard noted about Taylor after the game, “Anytime something goes wrong or there’s an issue, it seems like people are calling for Zac’s job or whatever, he’s done nothing but be a great leader and consistent force in this whole turnaround, and I really love Zac as a coach, and I’m thankful that he’s here. Like you said, he was young. We’re all young, we all grow and learn, and we all just wanted to be better, and it’s just a consistent effort to be better for this team. It’s what we’ve all done, and done together.” In the NFL where the margin for error is razor-thin, it takes everyone playing together to win. In Taylor’s third season, with Burrow and his playmakers, paired with a defense full of free agents, this Bengals team is ahead of schedule, but right on time.
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