Deja vu.
After last year's wild card over the Raiders came down to the final play of the game, the Cincinnati Bengals open this year's postseason with a win over the Baltimore Ravens in very similar fashion.
There was no interception from Germaine Pratt to seal the deal (although there almost was), but the Ravens were one Hail Mary away from potentially sending the game to overtime and nearly knocking off the defending AFC champion Bengals.
From Sam Hubbard's legendary fumble return touchdown to Joe Burrow's ability to sustain pressure from the Ravens' pass rush, the Bengals somehow sneak out another playoff as they have won playoff games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise history.
Speaking of franchise history, that win marks their ninth-straight win, the longest-ever win streak in team history.
There's a lot for the Bengals to celebrate and enjoy after exorcising some prime-time demons on Sunday Night Football. However, there's certainly much the Bengals need to unpack, including their now hobbled and banged up offensive line, a lack of rhythm from Burrow in the game's final stanza and several missed plays by Cincinnati's defense.
They're on to Buffalo as they'll play the Bills for the first time since that fateful Monday Night Football game almost weeks ago. How concerned should the Bengals be as they hope to return to back-to-back AFC Championship games?
The Strictly Stripes Crew is at Paycor Stadium with all the analysis, input and insight on what made the Bengals' win special and why they shouldn't celebrate too hard before getting ready for Buffalo. They also hand out their weekly game balls and set the stage for next Sunday.
This podcast features Mohammad Ahmad, Andrew Gillis and Michael Niziolek.
Music: Starfields by Hallman
Music Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/nQ9ldbVF7D/
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