This week, the Cincinnati Bengals begin playoff preparation for the Las Vegas Raiders. The Bengals rested the majority of their starters in a 21-16 loss in the season finale against the Cleveland Browns. Cincinnati wanted their players as fresh as possible for the playoffs and this included franchise quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow has been nursing a dislocated pinky finger and a sore right knee that he reaggravated against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bengals come into the playoffs mostly at full strength and face a Raiders team that they defeated in Week 11 in Las Vegas. Both teams are much different from the last time they squared off. The Bengals passing attack is much more lethal and the Raiders are more balanced compared to their November matchup. This game will be decided on who does a better job protecting the quarterback and the ball. Cincinnati is looking to its home-field advantage to make The Jungle roar on Saturday.
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Cincinnati Bengals Begin Playoff Preparation for Las Vegas Raiders
When the playoffs begin, the stakes obviously get higher as mental errors and undisciplined play proves costly. This was the issue for many playoff teams of Cincinnati’s past. Former head coach Marvin Lewis and quarterback Andy Dalton didn’t perform well when the lights were the brightest. Another issue with Lewis’s teams was the lack of discipline in critical moments. Enter Zac Taylor and Burrow. This 2021 Bengals team just happens to be the least penalized in the league and has one of the hottest quarterbacks in the playoff field. Burrow seems to be the anti-Dalton when the game is on the line and the ball is in his hand to close games. Taylor will also look to do something Lewis never did. That’s winning a playoff game and doing so in his third year as a head coach.
Short Memory
Cincinnati is one of the youngest teams in the league and this fact has served them well all season long. They are an extremely confident bunch and seem unfazed by the outside noise that is all around. This confidence is largely due to their franchise player in Burrow. In the playoffs, you also need that confidence to carry you late in drives and in closing out games. Burrow and this team have been very good in clutch moments, but especially so the last five games of the regular season. They also have a short memory when mistakes happen and if they fall behind. These qualities certainly give them a different vibe when you look at the Bengals playoff run from 2011-2015. Even in those excellent seasons, they just seemed to lack that killer instinct to put teams away. Taylor has been aggressive with his playcalling and has the utmost confidence in his players to win games when it matters most.
The Curse of Bo
The Bengals last playoff win came in 1990 after defeating the Houston Oilers 41-14. The following week, they lost in the divisional round against the Oakland Raiders led by all-time great Bo Jackson. In this game, a routine tackle by Kevin Walker on Jackson seemed relatively minor at the time as the Raiders went on to win 20-10. The injury to Jackson was anything but minor. It actually ended Jackson’s career and the curse of Bo was born. This began the longest playoff drought in professional sports and spans 31 years. Bengals fans and the residents of Cincinnati know this curse all too well. How fitting is it that this iteration of the Bengals get to play the Raiders at home in a playoff game following a season that no one expected? Taylor and Burrow look to change the narrative and flip the script of past Bengals failures in the playoffs. It’s time to end 31 years of pain, curses be damned.
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