The National Football League is taking a day off from game action today during their marathon holiday week schedule. It began on Wednesday with a pair of games, played last night with the final Thursday night game of the season, and has three games scheduled for Saturday, nine on Sunday and the final Monday Night Football contest on, you guessed it, Monday.
One of the three featured games tomorrow has the Cincinnati Bengals hosting the Denver Broncos. These are two teams that had very different seasons than the preseason projections suggested. The Bengals, with the return of Joe Burrow behind center after he missed most of the 2023 season with injuries, were supposed to contend in the talented AFC North Division race.
They didn’t.
First clue was losing at home on opening day to the New England Patriots. Following a narrow road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in second week action, 25-26, they got upset at home by a Washington Commanders team we didn’t know was going to be good this season. Turns out Dan Quinn’s first season as head coach of the Commanders with rookie Jayden Daniels running their offense has turned out a lot like last year’s Houston Texans campaign with first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.
The surprising 2023 Texans earned a Wild Card playoff berth and won their first postseason game. The Commanders are on the verge of earning a playoff berth and what happens after that is yet to be seen.
Now back to the Bengals, who were upset by the Commanders in a Monday Night Football Week Three encounter for a third straight loss to open their 2024 season. During the first nine weeks this season the Bengals only wins were gained against the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders. Those four teams enter play this week with a combined 12 and 48 won/loss record.