Week 4 “We’re legit. We gotta go out there and prove that every week”
People usually look up to football players since they seem bigger than life. Not only are they some of the largest people you will ever see, but what makes them truly unique is only 0.00075% of high school football players make it to the NFL. The chances are so small that it is almost too difficult to wrap your mind around it. So what makes NFL teams different. If the chances of making it to the league are so small, what are the differences from the best to the worst NFL teams.
Players are a big contributor to the variability in the league. Patrick Mahomes compared to Andy Dalton makes a difference. When you have a league beater vs an average player the win total for each team is going to be different. But what makes the Chiefs and the Packers different? Some would say Aaron Rodgers is better than Patrick Mahomes and vice versa. Having an elite quarterback is one of the most integral parts to being successful in the NFL. Which both of these teams have, some could say it's a culture and others would say it’s the coach. So what makes those teams different?
I believe the Bengals have one of those elite quarterbacks in Joe Burrow, a player with so much moxy you think he can never lose. Burrow can be a truly magnificent player, and every fan can see that on the field. But to most fans they don’t see what's going on behind closed doors. It seems like every player has zero doubt in Burrow. They all believe they have the best quarterback in the world. This belief in Burrow is something I don’t believe any modern Cincinnati quarterback truly has had. The mentality shift has been something building with the Bengals in this new regime. What is building isn’t a tangible asset, it's a team.
For the first time in my life it feels like the Bengals are a real team. Where every guy in that locker room has the same ambition. Guys are cheering on their teammates, not frustrated because their spotlight was taken. Perfect example is Ja’Marr Chase winning Rookie of the Month. Every receiver posted on social media backing their guy. This whole culture shift didn’t happen overnight. It took 3 years of Taylor purging Marvin Lewis guys. There's a reason why the likes of Dre Kirkpatrick and William Jackson III are no longer on this team. Take a look at the Bengals secondary, they nicknamed themselves the clean up crew, stating they won't leave missed tackles on the field. When someone in the secondary receives praise they always mention the other guys in the group. That's the stuff the average fan won’t pick up on until they see the win total change. But news flash this isn’t your normal Bengals team. There is a major culture shift going on in Cincinnati and it's only for the better.
For years players would never go to Cincinnati unless they were at the end of their careers and Cincinnati was willing to over pay. With Zac Taylor's new philosophy and approach to coaching, I believe the Bengals will have players wanting to come to Cincinnati. Look at the Bengals defensive line, three of the four starters came to Cincinnati because of the culture they saw developing. Bengals fans need to realize this is a different Bengals team, the jaded approach most fans have towards the team is warranted. But take a deeper look and see how they operate, and think about every great team there has ever been. They always had two things; a great quarterback and a group of guys that embodied the definition of a team. I believe the Bengals have something in the works.
