Rather than be burdened by the realities of Monday's game against the Dallas Cowboys, the Cincinnati Bengals are welcoming it as an opportunity to set the record straight about who, and what, they are.
For Cincinnati (4-8), the game is a nationally-televised road test against the resurgent Cowboys (5-7) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (8:15 p.m., ESPN). The faintest of playoff hopes are hanging in the balance, but more than that, the Bengals simply need a respectable, 60-minute performance. Ideally, they'd get contributions from all three units, too, because it's been a while since that's happened.
On top of it all, a viewing audience of millions, and maybe tens of millions, will be scrutinizing Cincinnati for 60 minutes. A slip-up on this stage will likely cement the narratives around the Bengals, and specifically that they've abjectly squandered a season of prolific offense and MVP-level play from quarterback Joe Burrow.
Cincinnati is keen to fend off that narrative and others, though. In fact, the pressure of Monday's game might be exactly what the team needs.
"It's a tough test for our guys and exciting to be on Monday Night Football, and I think that's what this team needs right now," Taylor said. "Put us back in the spotlight, have an opportunity to overcome and find a win and get on the right stretch here."
To glance at the divisional standings across the NFL, a football fan in Las Vegas or Philadelphia might look at the Bengals' 4-8 record and not think much of the team. But those who have followed Cincinnati closely in 2024 − everyone who has watched the Bengals discover new ways to lose and go 1-7 in one-score games − know there's more to this team.
Against Dallas, a win might not be enough to salvage the 2024 campaign. The Bengals' door to an AFC Wild Card berth is almost shut and closing quickly. But respectability is still attainable for a team that's constantly been on the cusp and unable to finish.
The story of the 2024 Bengals isn't finished, and the narrative can be corrected over the final five weeks of the season.
How better to begin rewriting that story than with a win on the grand stage that is Monday Night Football at AT&T Stadium?
"I feel like that's the goal for us every week, trying to go out there and prove, not to ourselves, but to the world that we're better than what our record says," Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase said Friday at Paycor Stadium "We've only got five games but there's not much we can really show more than keep executing like we've been doing."
Re-writing the narrative of 2024, for America and themselves
From starting the year as a team with objectives far beyond simply qualifying for the playoffs, the Bengals have seen near-miss after near-miss take their toll on their collective psyche. The players in the locker room now need to feel and see themselves close out a victory as much as anyone else.
"We've lost, what, two or three straight now? So, just trying to get a win and get back in the win column and trying to feel good about ourselves," receiver Tee Higgins said Friday at Paycor Stadium.
One win at Dallas could spur interesting developments in the weeks to come, and reveal much about what the team is made of.
Burrow notably indicated he'll be keeping an eye out to see which players qualify as cornerstone-type pieces going forward. Chase is pursuing the coveted "triple crown" for wide receivers, which entails finishing the year as the league leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Cast in the favorable light of victory, the Bengals can see progress toward both of those ends, and other pursuits, too.
Cincinnati has five games left to play, and winning them all could also add a touch of playoff intrigue to the closing weeks. Considering the Bengals' circumstances, the momentum of beating Dallas could put the team on solid footing to begin contemplating running the table.
The Titans, currently standing at 3-9, are up next at Nissan Stadium on Dec. 15. Then, the 3-9 Cleveland Browns visit Paycor Stadium Dec. 22. The schedule stiffens up after that as the Bengals finish the regular season at home against the Denver Broncos and on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Survive Dallas and it's well within the realm of possibilities that the Bengals could enter the Denver-Steelers stretch fighting for a chance to finish with a 9-8 record.
A win against any opponent means correcting serious concerns from recent losses, of course.
On defense, missed tackles seemed to tell the story of Cincinnati's 44-38 loss to the Steelers last week. More uncertainty emerged midweek on special teams as Evan McPherson was sidelined due to a groin injury. That necessitated the signing of kicker Cade York, who last played during Week One of this season, hasn't made a field goal since the 2022 season with the Browns and was out of the league in 2023.
Monday will likely serve as the last, best chance for this group of Bengals to make a statement worth paying attention to in 2024. A loss means playing out the string with little tangible incentive, and likely not outlasting the narratives dogging them.
