The Cincinnati Bengals are just one game away from completing a fairy-tale turnaround. After winning just six games combined in the previous two seasons, the Bengals have now won 13 games on their way to this point. Let’s take a look at how the Bengals made it all the way to Super Bowl 56.
Cincinnati Bengals road to the Super Bowl
Unsurprisingly, after winning six games in the last two seasons combined, little was expected from the Bengals in 2021. They were projected to win 6.5 games, and the Bengals’ Super Bowl odds of +15000 were tied for third-longest in the league. Teams that were given better odds of winning the Super Bowl include the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants.
A solid but unspectacular start
The first four weeks of the season demonstrated promise for Cincinnati’s season in 2021. They started the year 3-1, but there were still some question marks. Beating the Vikings was viewed as a good win at the time, but the way they let Minnesota back in raised alarms. The 4-turnover performance in Chicago was the most concerning, with mistakes costing the team what should have been a 2-0 start.
Beating the Steelers in Week 3 was a huge boost. However, there were plenty of question marks over how good the Steelers were early in the season. Backing that up by struggling past the Jaguars 24-21 suggested the Bengals’ 3-1 start may be nothing more than a promising one based on a mediocre schedule.
The Bengals’ Super Bowl challenge picked up speed before seemingly derailing spectacularly
The five weeks leading up to the Bengals’ bye week were a wide contrast. Through that stretch, they went 3-2, but the swings in performance from the first three weeks to the last two were stark. Pushing the Packers to overtime and comprehensively beating the Lions 34-11. However, the real marker was laid down when the Bengals dismantled the Ravens to win 41-17 in Baltimore. At that point, Cincinnati was 5-2 and hope was really building.
That hope vanished quickly heading into the bye week. Behind QB Mike White, the Jets caused a huge upset, defeating the Bengals 34-31. A mistake by Joe Burrow on a screen pass late in the game was a decisive moment as Cincinnati tried to close out the game. That was followed up by a 3-interception performance as the Browns comprehensively beat the Bengals in Cincinnati. Suddenly, any thoughts of a potential Super Bowl seemed a long way off for the Bengals.
A roller-coaster second half propelled Cincinnati to the playoffs
Coming out of the bye week with a 5-4 record, the Bengals needed to start strong. They did just that with two straight wins over the Raiders and Steelers. However, that momentum was stalled with losses to the Chargers (41-22) and 49ers (26-23 OT). That left the Bengals sitting at 7-6 and needing a strong finish to make the playoffs, let alone win their division.
Despite a 15-10 victory over the Broncos in Week 15, the Bengals remained an unconvincing team. With games coming against the Ravens, Chiefs, and Browns, Cincinnati needed to pick up their performances significantly. Winning two of the three would likely put them in the playoffs, and with some help, they would also clinch the AFC North.
The offense clicked once again vs. the Ravens’ defense, scoring 41 against Baltimore for the second time in 2021. Cincinnati then demonstrated their resilience to come back against the Chiefs from two scores down. They showed savvy game-management skills to control the final few minutes against the Chiefs and kick a field goal as time expired to win the game. Having Evan McPherson kick that crucial field goal would become a sign of things to come in the playoffs.
Results elsewhere meant that entering Week 18, the Bengals had little to play for in terms of their positioning heading into the playoff run to the Super Bowl. With just the third and fourth seeds in play, the Bengals rested several starters in their second loss to the Browns in the 2021 season and finished the year 10-7.
The Bengals had a tense series of games in the playoffs
The Bengals entered the playoffs as the fourth seed, meaning they would host the Las Vegas Raiders to open Wild Card Weekend. Things started well for the Bengals as they led 20-6 with just under two minutes remaining in the first half. However, a late drive from Derek Carr and the Raiders cut the lead to 20-13. In the second half, McPherson would kick his third and fourth field goals of the game as the Bengals mustered just 6 points. However, their defense held strong to give them a 26-19 victory.
In the Divisional Round, the Bengals had to face the No. 1 seed Titans. Coming off a bye, the Titans started slowly, and the Bengals opened up a 6-0 lead thanks to McPherson. The rookie kicker added a third field goal late in the first half for a 9-6 lead. The Bengals would get out to a 16-6 lead before the Titans tied things up at the end of the third quarter. A tight, tense fourth quarter would end with McPherson kicking a clutch 52-yard field goal to clinch the game.
A tremendous fight back against the Chiefs sent the Bengals to Super Bowl 56
The pattern changed for the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game. Their first two playoff games had seen them leading at the half. However, it was the Chiefs who jumped out to a seemingly comprehensive 21-3 lead with five minutes left in the second quarter. A late Samaje Perine touchdown, accompanied by a huge goal-line stand before the half, kept the Bengals within reach.
In the second half, the Bengals’ defense came to the fore. They held the Chiefs to just 3 points — which came as the clock hit zero in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Cincinnati’s offense and McPherson scored 14 points to take the game to overtime. After Vonn Bell picked off Patrick Mahomes, the Bengals’ defense calmly put themselves in a position to win the game with a field goal. McPherson obliged, kicking his fourth field goal of the game, his 12th of the postseason, and second game-winner in consecutive weeks.