The NFL world was shocked late Thanksgiving evening to see the Cincinnati Bengals knock off their AFC North rival, Baltimore Ravens, by the score of 32-14.
Nobody expected the Bengals to win the game, much less win by such a margin.
One of the main reasons for this upset was the return of Joe Burrow to the Bengals’ starting lineup.
The former MVP candidate brought juice to a Bengals offense that lacked it from the arm of the immortal Joe Flacco. Flacco did his best, but it has only been good enough to improve the team to 4-8.
Much like the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC, the Bengals look like a team that can make a late (maybe too late?) push for the playoffs.
A Division Title in Reach
If you look at the Bengals’ 4-8 record, you would think the playoffs would be a far cry. However, nobody is running away with the division lead.
Pittsburgh leads the division with a 6-6 record, just two games ahead of these Bengals, and the teams have already split the season series.
At the current pace, Cincinnati needs only to tie the Steelers record, and a better division record (3-1 currently) would put them over in the tiebreaker.
Baltimore also sits at 6-6, and the Bengals still have another head-to-head matchup with them after just defeating them on Thursday night.
An Offensive Boost
Any time a franchise quarterback returns to the lineup, the offense gets a boost from the better arm.
For the Bengals, it should be no different. Pass catchers like JaMarr Chase, Tee Higgins, Andre Iosivas, and Mike Gesicki will get more opportunities from the better quarterback.
Joe Flacco filled in admirably, but the difference in the offensive efficiency is obvious after watching the Bengals drop 32 on the Ravens.
With the passing game opening up, the run game should also see more efficiency behind the legs of Donald Brown.
Burrow threw for 261 yards as he spread the ball around to nine different receivers, with his leading target being none other than Chase with 110 yards receiving on seven catches.
Complementary Football
Again bringing comparison to the Cowboys in the NFC, the Bengals defense was a terrible thing to watch in the first half of the season.
The Bengals ranked in the bottom five of nearly every defensive category, giving up over 30 points in six games since Burrow’s injury.
All that seemed to change when Burrow returned to the field.
In the only two games Burrow started before his injury the Bengals defense gave up 16 and 27 points on their way to victory both times.
If the defense can maintain their end of the deal, the Bengals could go on a run for the AFC North title and a berth in the postseason tournament.
With an offense led by Burrow, and throwing to a plethora of playmakers, the Bengals will be a force to be reckoned with if the NFL allows them to make the playoffs.
