One of the best parts of the Bengals’ win over the Steelers Thursday night is seeing the relationship between the Bengals’ fanbase and Andrew Whitworth. It looks like that relationship is strong, which was great to see, nearly 9 years after Whitworth left in free agency.
The four-time Pro Bowler and two-time First-Team All-Pro has been critical of the Bengals’ organization over the years, but he still cares about them and the city of Cincinnati. That’s what’s always been great about Andrew Whitworth; he’s honest, but he has a big heart for where he came from and cares about the team that drafted him and he played 11 seasons for.
Thursday night, Whitworth was the Ruler of the Jungle, and he embraced it with full force. He mentioned earlier in the week that he was really happy to see the Bengals trade for Joe Flacco, which is no small storyline. For as critical of the Bengals as Whitworth was over the years, his being happy about something they don’t normally do was crucial.
The way Whitworth fired up the crowd and was cheering them on during the game was awesome, and Bengals fans reciprocated his passion. That matters because Whitworth is one of the greatest Bengals’ offensive linemen and players in team history. It’s great to see that there is still a strong positive relationship between him and Bengals’ fans. That was evidenced by Bengals’ fans chanting his name during the Prime Video postgame show.
Speaking of the postgame show, the number of fans that stayed to cheer on Joe Flacco when he came out to Prime Video’s set was awesome. Here’s a quarterback who arrived just nine days before Thursday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Bengals’ fans cheering him on during the postgame show made it seem like he had been here in Cincinnati for way longer than 9 days.
Flacco is a very easy player to root for. He can relate to anybody, and I think he’s going to be a helpful asset to Joe Burrow. For as great as Joe Burrow is, it almost feels like he has been flying blind through the first five+ seasons of his career. Both on and off the field, he’s had to carry the Bengals organization—and his fast-growing fame.
Enter Joe Flacco, a 40-year-old father of four and former Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP. He’s the best quarterback Burrow has had in the Bengals’ quarterback room besides himself. Flacco has played a lot of football and has a lot of experience and wisdom that can help even the most advanced IQs in the NFL, like Joe Burrow’s.
When he was with the Ravens, Flacco had a great offensive line and running game protecting him. He also had a great defense complementing him and the Ravens’ offense. Particularly on offense, he’s adaptable to playing different ways with the Bengals. Burrow likes to primarily be in the shotgun, but what if Flacco can get him to understand that sometimes going under center can help this Bengals’ offense and team be even better? Can Flacco help protect Burrow from himself?
Having a player like Joe Flacco at quarterback and in the locker room can benefit Burrow, Zac Taylor, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and the entire organization. He’s been there and done that, and trading for him could be the turning point of the Joe Burrow era in Cincinnati.
Speaking of leaders, the Bengals’ defense needs one. At least, they need another one in addition to Trey Hendrickson, and they need another one in the event that Logan Wilson gets traded.
Kirk Herbstreit said before the game that tackling would be key for the Bengals’ defense on Thursday night. Sure enough, tackling was an issue for the Bengals’ defense.
I’m truly wondering how this defense can be so bad at tackling. How can players like Geno Stone, Shemar Stewart, and Joseph Ossai not live up to expectations or what we’ve seen from them in the past?
Since the Bengals walked off the field in the AFC Championship in Kansas City in January of 2023, they have let Jessie Bates III, D.J. Reader, and Mike Hilton all walk in free agency. Those three weren’t just great players; they were great leaders. Reader brought a physicality and attitude to the defensive line and locker room when he came to Cincinnati in 2020. Hilton brought accountability to the Bengals’ secondary when he got here in 2021. Bates was great on the field, but he was also a great leader for the entire Bengals’ defense.
When you let those great veteran players walk, the young guys don’t have any veterans to show them the ropes. That matters. You know what, maybe Lou Anarumo wasn’t the problem. He was trying everything in the book the last two seasons, but the front office letting veteran players walk left a larger void than any of us could have imagined.
I’m not blaming Al Golden. If anything, he deserves credit for benching Logan Wilson and Cam Taylor-Britt to give younger players the opportunity to try and make an impact. But maybe Anarumo wasn’t the problem. Maybe he was scapegoated. There was nothing wrong with starting fresh with a new voice coordinating the defense. But it’s clear that there is a lack of veteran leadership on the field. Coaching matters in the NFL, but players ultimately win games.
Trey Hendrickson is a leader on the Bengals’ defense. But having another leader or two on the field can make a huge difference. Right now, Hendrickson is the only starter on defense who played in Super Bowl LVI. Wilson is still with the team, obviously, and he started in Super Bowl LVI. Ossai was injured for all of the 2021 season, sans one preseason game. Other than that, no other defensive player currently on the team played in Super Bowl LVI. That matters, especially when you compare that to the offense.
Right now, there are three Bengals’ offensive starters who have won Super Bowls: Flacco, Ted Karras, and Orlando Brown Jr. In addition, Burrow, Chase, and Higgins all played in Super Bowl LVI. Notice how the offense hasn’t regressed since Super Bowl LVI. The defense, on the other hand, has regressed severely. That’s what happens when you neglect that side of the ball. It catches up to you, and it has to the Bengals.
That aside, this season is still very much alive for the Bengals. If they can win these next two games, this season could get very interesting and a lot brighter looking.
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