The two teams are among the best in the NFL and are vying for the conference’s #1 playoff seed. This means home field advantage throughout the postseason. Over the past few years, this may have been a good measure for the Bengals.
But after waves of success over the past two seasons, Cincinnati is well aware of its status.
“We beat everyone,” Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said. “We know we can play anyone. We treat all our games the same as we did, and for the last two years we’ve played anyone.”
Starting in Week 17 of last season, Cincinnati has defeated the Kansas City Chiefs three times in a row, including last season’s AFC championship game.
Burrow, a third-year quarterback, contrasted this year’s Week 17 showdown against Buffalo with last year’s Week 17 showdown against Kansas City. won the AFC North and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
“At that point, we weren’t playing in the upper echelons of the AFC,” Burrow said. “So it was a big win for us.”
But Burrow noted that the Buffaloes (12-3) are one team Cincinnati (11-4) has yet to face since the Bengals transformed into Super Bowl contenders. The last time they faced Buffalo was in Week 2 of the 2019 season, which marked the beginning of a recession that led to the Bengals having the worst record in the league. This gave them the opportunity to pick Burrow with the #1 overall pick in the 2020 Draft.
Cincinnati will enter Monday’s game as one of the hottest teams in the NFL. The seven-game winning streak is the longest in the AFC and he is one short of the franchise record.
Burrow and Bills quarterback Josh Allen combined for a combined NFL record of 78 passing and rushing touchdowns, according to a study by ESPN Stats & Information, making it the longest-running quarterback between two competing quarterbacks. participated in the game.
Cincinnati wide receiver Jamar Chase and Bills wide receiver Stephon Diggs both rank in the top six in touchdowns and receiving yards over the past two seasons. Chase called Monday’s game a “best of the best” meeting that highlights the quality of the team.
“This is what the NFL is about. Play your best and give the fans what they want. Put the show on for the whole world to see,” Chase said.
Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, who hit 1,000 yards for the second straight season, agrees with Burrow about Cincinnati’s confidence going into Monday’s game.
“We definitely know who we are as a team,” Higgins said. We know what we can do. We just had to get out there and do it.”
Cincinnati’s offense will go up against the Bills’ secondary, which Higgins believes is one of the best players in the NFL. Manager Zach Taylor said the Bengals are expected to start tight end Hayden Hurst. Hurst, who has missed the last three games with a right calf injury, was fully present at Thursday’s practice, according to the team’s injury report.
During his weekly press conference, Burrow was asked about the preseason chatter that had the Bills as a hot pick to reach the Super Bowl. Buffalo received twice the prize money to win the Lombardi Trophy than any other team in the league.
But then and now, Burrow had little interest in how the Bengals fared against the best teams in the NFL.
“The offseason is the offseason,” Burrow said. “People will find something to talk about.