Williams: Why Cincinnati Bengals must focus on getting even better after dominating 49ers

[Arkansas Bengal]

Jason Williams, Cincinnati Enquirer

Sun, Oct 29, 2023, 9:49 PM CDT·4 min read

 

 

It's official: The Bengals’ Super Bowl hopes are restored.

 

They put the whole package together for first time this season on Sunday, and at the perfect time given they were coming off the bye week and who they were playing.

 

The Bengals’ 31-17 win against San Francisco was as beautiful a performance as the sunny, northern California weather they played in.

 

Joe Burrow passing. Joe Burrow running. Dominant defense. Timely interceptions. The Bengals were even confident enough to run the ball near the goal line, and wouldn’t you know it. They scored! Did we mention Joe Burrow?

 

And they did it against the venerable 49ers, a lot of people’s favorite to win the Super Bowl.

 

The Bengals sent a message in handing the 49ers their first home loss in more than a year and with the great Joe Montana in attendance: Screw your Super Bowl hopes, San Fran. We want the Lombardi Trophy.

 

The Bengals (4-3) have won three straight games and seem to be well on their way to another late-season run toward the playoffs.

 

 

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws a pass while warming up before the NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the San Francisco 49ers at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Oct 29, 2023.

 

Those runs came up short of the Super Bowl title the last few years, though. There’s no better time for everyone in the Bengals’ organization to be asking themselves right now: “What will it take to win Cincinnati’s first Super Bowl championship?”

 

We’re talking about everyone, owner and front-office personnel included. The front office cannot look at the San Francisco win and think: “All good. Burrow will take it from here.”

 

The window to win it all is this season. It’s now.

 

Really want that Lombardi Trophy, Cincinnati? Then the Bengals must do whatever it takes to address their weaknesses by Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, mainly getting a starting tight end. They need to have a sense of urgency.

 

The front office must overcome its old-school ways of sitting on its hands at the deadline. The Bengals have come a long way in overcoming themselves in recent years, thanks mostly to Burrow. The trade deadline is another opportunity to bury the that’s-not-how-we-do-things-around-here approach.

 

The Bengals may not be able to make a deal, but dammit, they must try. They’ve been so close the last couple of years, losing the Super Bowl after squandering a late lead and dropping the AFC Championship last season on a field goal with three seconds left.

 

There are no guarantees a deadline deal would deliver a Super Bowl championship – or even a third straight playoff berth. But the Bengals’ margin for error is razor thin after they lost three of their first four games. The AFC's top contenders – Kansas City, Baltimore and Miami – are all 6-2.

 

Want to know what else those teams have? Elite tight ends. Well, Kansas City and Baltimore do. Miami, meanwhile, doesn’t necessarily need one, because the Dolphins have Tyreek Hill and the most dynamic offense in the league.

 

 

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Irv Smith Jr. (81) breaks a tackle attempt by San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga (29) in the second quarter of the NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the San Francisco 49ers at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Oct 29, 2023.

 

The Bengals have a guy named Irv Smith at tight end. He should be a backup on a good team. But Cincinnati went cheap at the position in the offseason, letting Hayden Hurst go in free agency. Hurst could block and was a sure-handed receiver when Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd weren’t open.

Smith was a forgotten man until Sunday, when he fumbled inside the 49ers’ 5-yard line just before halftime. The Bengals looked like they were going to go up two scores and demoralize the 49ers. The Bengals instead settled for a 14-10 lead at halftime.

 

I’m not trying to dwell on a negative play in an otherwise awesome game. But this is about winning it all, right? This is the NFL, no?

 

The point is, what worked this week might not click next Sunday. Next time, the league may not be as forgiving and could make the Bengals pay for such a mistake. It could cost the Bengals a higher playoff seed. It could cost the Bengals a title.

 

That’s why Burrow needs all the top weapons he can get for the Bengals to have their best chance to beat Kansas City, Baltimore and/or Miami in January and then go onto defeat Philadelphia, Detroit, Dallas, San Francisco or whoever wins the NFC in the Super Bowl.

 

Think big picture, Cincinnati. You want those renewed Super Bowl dreams to turn into the greatest trophy in sports, don’t you?

 

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/williams-why-cincinnati-bengals-must-024948166.html

[-GoBengals-]

jason williams fucking sucks.