The Cincinnati Bengals attempted to fend off mediocrity for decades following the two Super Bowl appearances in the 1980s.
After overcoming one of the longest playoff droughts in sports and making their way to a third Super Bowl with quarterback Joe Burrow at the helm, it seemed as if they might have finally dug themselves out of the abyss of mediocrity.
Now, the Bengals sit at 4-7 and are far from must-watch T.V. in the eyes of the executives who pull the strings.
The Cincinnati Bengals Thursday Night Football game was flexed
The Cincinnati Bengals were set to play the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football in week 16. In the first Thursday Night Football flex of the season, the matchup will now feature the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Chargers.
The first Thursday night flex: The Week 16 Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers game will move to Thursday Night Football on Prime Video while the Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals matchup will be played Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 22, 2024
The Bengals and Browns were relegated to a 1 p.m. ET Sunday game. While going up against one of the worst teams in the league doesn’t help, flexing the Bengals out of a primetime game was something that would’ve seemed outrageous at the beginning of the season.
The Bengals have a quarterback who is leading the league in yards passing, QBR and passing touchdowns along with a wide receiver who is leading the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Not to mention the NFL’s leader in sacks is on the other side of the ball.
The immense star power is not enough to keep the underachieving Bengals in the limelight despite their role in some of the most entertaining games of the NFL season thus far.
In an article from Yahoo Sports, potential Hall of Famer and former Bengals tackle Willie Anderson said he was among many Bengals fans who thought the “Bungles” of the past were gone once they made it to the Super Bowl.
“Then that damn word ‘Bungles’ can be retired,” said Willie Anderson, a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist who played offensive tackle for the Bengals from 1996-2007. “That s*** got so old.”
While it seemed Anderson was right at the time, the Bengals are now being flexed out of the Thursday Night Football spot for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2015.
More NFL and College Football Articles from Andrew Kusleika on Gridiron Heroics:
- Beloved Denver Broncos WR, Broadcaster Dies After Battle With Illness
- Shedeur Sanders Wants Colorado Buffaloes to Give Him $10 Million
- Fans Rejoice as ESPN’s Exclusively-Streamed MNF Game is a Monumental Failure
- Star Los Angeles Rams WR Could Miss Even More Time With New Injury
Get More NFL and College Football Content from Andrew Kusleika
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