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Yes Virginia, the Bengals still believe in Santa Claus.
A quick check around the locker room after Wednesday's practice revealed they know exactly what has to get done if they are to make the playoffs. They know it starts Thursday night with Denver (9-5) playing the Chargers (8-6) in Los Angeles before they must take care of business Sunday (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Local 12) at Paycor Stadium against the Dorian Thompson-Robinson quarterbacked Browns.
"Don't want to be tied with the Chargers because they've got the tiebreakers," said left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., still dialed in even though he's missed five of the last six games with a leg injury and didn't practice Wednesday.
Thursday's winner pretty much has the sixth seed locked up. A Chargers win leaves Denver to fend off the likes of the 6-8 trio of the Bengals, Colts and Dolphins.
The Bengals need to win out, the Broncos need to lose out with games against the Bengals and Chiefs to finish, and the Colts and Dolphins have to lose one each. Last month's loss to the Chargers takes the Bengals out in a tie with L.A.
Quarterback Joe Burrow, who has Bengals fans believing in everything from the Easter Bunny to Elvis has yet to leave the building, is most certainly paying attention.
"Big game tomorrow," Burrow said. "You pay attention. Usually, just after your game, you go and check if things happen that you needed to happen. This is the time of year that you're always paying attention to that, whether you're in our spot or it's seeding and you're in the playoffs."
He'll start out watching Broncos-Chargers.
"Until I fall asleep," he said. "Little late for me on a Thursday, so I usually watch the first half."
BURROW REFLECTS
Burrow had the media losing sleep after last Sunday's emotional display on the sidelines in the final minute of the win over the Titans. During his candid and thoughtful presser (he knows no other) after practice Wednesday, Burrow spent most of his 20 minutes explaining what put him over the top.
To give you an idea, he used some root of the word "frustration," about a dozen times Wednesday, but let it be known he's fine with head coach Zac Taylor.
As one can expect, it started with Burrow's rage at himself as he suffered his first multiple-interception game of the season, committed a third turnover when he fumbled in the red zone and threw his first interception in the first half since the 2022 AFC title game.
"If that's a close game until the end, that's not how I'm reacting in that situation," Burrow said. "Usually what happens when I get that frustrated is I'm frustrated at my own mistakes to start, and then we have control of the game against a team that I feel like we're better than, and if we're not playing up to my standard against a team like that, you have the luxury of being a little emotional on the sideline in that situation because the game is out of reach and you don't have to go back out there to make a play to win the game.
"I can probably do a better job of keeping my emotions in check in that situation," Burrow said. "(Taylor) was just trying to tell me to be happy with the win. And I appreciate that about him because I can get lost. Just like everybody can. You get lost in the adversity of the season and you can't take winning for granted. I've tried to get better at that, and Zac tries to help me getting better at that. And I appreciate that about him. It's tough for me sometimes. I want to be great. I want us to be great. On offense I want us to be perfect, and if we're not, that gets frustrating for me."
Burrow and Tayor remain presidents of the other's fan club.
"He's got an edge to him. That is what makes him who he is. And I don't want to change that for one second because who he is and what makes him tick is what makes Joe Burrow different from everybody else on this planet," Taylor said before practice. "We're together a lot. More than any member of my family. I love working with him every single day. I love the edges about him. It's not always perfect between us when we're out there, dealing with moments, but that's just part of the competitive fire that he's got that I love and wouldn't change a thing about him."
JIMMY B
Burrow said he and his dad, former long-time Ohio University defensive coordinator Jimmy Burrow, used to watch post-game news conferences and his dad would remark about the right way and wrong way to do it.
"We would always talk about Peyton (Manning), Tom (Brady) and Drew Brees. Drew Brees was my favorite quarterback growing up and obviously, I was a big fan of Peyton and Tom, too," Joe Burrow said. "They did it the right way, handled their careers the right way. Never threw anybody under the bus. Always have the demeanor that you want to see from a quarterback. Just like I said before, those guys get heated on the sideline, too. That's part of the game."
Speaking of Brady, Burrow joined him Sunday as the second player in NFL history to have 250 passing yards and three touchdown passes in six consecutive games. Brady did it leading the 2007 Patriots to a 16-0 season, but it was news to Burrow.
"I know I'm putting up good numbers this month. That's about all I know," Burrow said. "I don't know about any comparisons or anything like that."
D ON RISE
Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s men are coming off their best six days of the season. In the Dec. 9 Monday nighter in Dallas, they held the Cowboys to a field goal in the second half and last Sunday in Tennessee they came up with their first six-turnover game in 17 years.
One of the theories some players are espousing is things have been a bit simpler. Anarumo isn't too sure about that, but he gets their point.
"We had as many numbers on the sheet as we've had," Anarumo said. "I think what we did was if we had practiced something and we didn't use it in the game, maybe it was, 'Hey, this could be good against them, it's probably going to be all right,' but it wasn't like, 'Hey, this is going to beat this.
"We probably say, "Hey, we've got reps on this, so let's just carry it over and then add something that is game plan specific.' … At this time of the year, there are a few wrinkles you can throw in there, but everybody's kind of seen everything. "
PENALTY PAUSE
A big thing that had Burrow agitated Sunday is the sudden problem with penalties. Taylor has always had one of the least penalized teams in the NFL. But in the last three games, the Bengals have committed their three most in a game during Taylor's six seasons here. Against Pittsburgh, it was 10, and it was 11 in Dallas before they had 14 last Sunday against the Titans.
"We're a disciplined football team that understands the rules, understands the cadence, understands what we're trying to do on every single play. And that's why historically we've been good at that. But the last three weeks we have not. That needed to be addressed, and it's been addressed," Burrow said.
"It's just about maintaining focus through every snap, through the entire game. Sometimes when you get into a game like that, you get up late … and you have little mental lapses, like 'Oh, the game is won. We're trying to get in the end zone one more time, but the game's won, I'm ready to get on the plane to go home.' I've fallen into that before. You have to maintain your mental focus through the triple zeroes on the clock. That includes me. That's something we can all be better at."
SLANTS AND SCREENS
If Orlando Brown Jr., can't go again at left tackle, it looks like Cody Ford is well enough to go because he returned from the flu that took him out of the game last Sunday and went full in practice Wednesday …
Ford helped the Bengals break Browns sack ace Myles Garrett's streak of seven straight games with a sack against the Bengals back in October …
Right guard Alex Cappa (concussion) went limited Wednesday as he continues in the protocol. If he can't go, Taylor isn't saying who would among a raft of candidates ranging from practice squad center Trey Hill, rookie center Matt Lee and guard-tackle Andrew Stueber, who replaced Cappa for four snaps last Sunday …
Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins has yet to practice since falling ill in Los Angeles last month before the Chargers game …
Wide receiver Charlie Jones (groin), who hasn't played since the week after he took the Oct. 20 opening kickoff all the way to jump-start the win in Cleveland, went limited Wednesday …
