10/10/2023 0 Comments Sumaru bengals![]() The next week, Cincinnati came out victorious in a win-and-in matchup at Paul Brown Stadium against perennial-power Kansas City and QB Patrick Mahomes. ![]() Burrow and the Bengals left little doubt about their prospects against the Ravens, as the second year QB passed for a Bengals-record 525 yards, the fourth-highest single-game total in NFL history (see "Burrow's big days vs. 26 against Baltimore, which put the Bengals in the driver's seat in the AFC North. The last of those was a record-setting 41-21 performance on Dec. ![]() Cincinnati notched four lopsided wins over Pittsburgh and Baltimore to eventually finish 4-2 in the division and secure an AFC North title. The Bengals found themselves very much in the playoff picture at their Week 10 bye and surged in the second half of the year against a difficult schedule. Kansas City), a 52-yarder in below freezing temperatures to send Cincinnati to the AFC Championship (Divisional Playoff at Tennessee), and another to send Cincinnati to Super Bowl LVI (AFC Championship at Kansas City). Jacksonville), one to clinch the AFC North title (Jan. Minnesota), his first primetime game (Thursday Night Football on Sept. McPherson said before the season that he had never even been in position to make a game-winning kick, then he proceeded to hit five "walk-off" FGs as a rookie - in his first NFL game (Sept. All three of Cincinnati's starting CBs were new to the team in 2021 - Eli Apple, Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton - and each had a pair of INTs.Īlong with Chase, Cincinnati's other star rookie was K Evan McPherson, a 22-year-old fifth-round pick out of the University of Florida whose leg strength (see "McPherson from deep" on page 14) and reliability under pressure (see "'Shooter McPherson' perfect in playoffs" on page 14) turned him into an immediate fan favorite. 30" on page 13, and "Bell rings of reliability" on page 13). The secondary was led by a pair of team captains at S in Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates III, who combined for three key INTs and a sack during the Bengals' playoff run (see "Mr. Wilson's four INTs, led the team, tied for the NFL lead among LBs, and counted as the most by a Bengals LB in 16 years (see "Logan's four INTs tied for LB lead" on page 12). At LB, second-year pro Logan Wilson made the leap from 2020 rotational player to '21 starter, green-dot communicator and one of the NFL's top young LBs. Hill - both playing their first Bengals seasons - rotated next to Reader and combined for 12.5 sacks. ![]() Reader returned after his first Bengals season was cut short by injury, and he helped Cincinnati's 2021 run defense improve 24 spots over the '20 squad (see "Healthy Reader leads stout D-line" on page 12). DE Trey Hendrickson, an unrestricted free agent signee in March, recorded the second-most sacks (14) in team history (see "Trey's 14 sacks second-most by a Bengal" on page 11), while bookend DE Sam Hubbard, a Cincinnati native, posted 7.5 while proving to be one of the top DEs in the NFL against the run (see "Hubbard a Day 2 draft steal" on page 12). Uzomah, the longest-tenured Bengal on offense, put together a career year of his own - 49 catches, 493 yards and five TDs.Ĭincinnati's defense showed well in 2020, thanks to a bevy of new faces and young players stepping into major roles. Fifth-year HB Joe Mixon proved to be one of the NFL's top RBs, and posted career-highs in rushing yardage (1205) and total TDs (16), while seventh year TE C.J. Chase, who won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (AP), put together one of the top rookie seasons ever by a WR (see "The rundown on Chase" on page 9), and teamed with second-year WR Tee Higgins and sixth-year slot WR Tyler Boyd to form one of the NFL's most productive WR trios. 5 overall pick in the draft who brought familiarity with Burrow after teaming with him in college at LSU, where they won a national championship in 2019. His primary target was rookie WR Ja'Marr Chase, the No. Second-year QB Joe Burrow posted team records for passing yardage (4611), passing TDs (34) and passer rating (108.3) en route to being named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year. Cincinnati's tight-knit locker room and charismatic young stars captured the affection of the fan base, as the team embarked on one of the most exciting and successful runs in Bengals history. Bengals make run to Super Bowl LVI: On the strength of one of the NFL's most talented young rosters, the Bengals cruised to a 10-7 record, AFC North title, AFC Conference championship and berth in Super Bowl LVI.
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