It’s the Bengals turn

You might think I’m crazy –actually, you probably already think I’m crazy and this will only reaffirm it — but I think the football gods — you’re aware of them, right? — pick a team of destiny in every NFL season, one for which the window of opportunity is swung wide open.

The Browns have been that team four times previously, in 1980, 1986, 2002 and 2020.

But the problem is that that christened team, whoever it is each year, must still jump through that window without messing up. And the Browns messed up on all four occasions.

In 1980, in the AFC divisional playoffs against the then named Oakland Raiders, they were driving for the winning points in the closing moments before Brian Sipe’s pass into the end zone for tight end Ozzie Newsome was intercepted by little-known Mike Davis, resulting in a 14-12 loss. Meanwhile, wide receiver Dave Logan was wide open in the right corner — no one was anywhere near him — but Sipe didn’t see him or even look that way because on the play call, Red Right 88, the first read was always to go to Newsome. The Kardiac Kids had pulled out those types of games all year — hence their nickname — so there was no reason to believe they would fail to do so this time. But there are exceptions to every rule. The Raiders went on to win the Super Bowl.  

In 1986, in the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos, the Browns seemed headed to the Super Bowl for the first time. Bernie Kosar threw a 48-yard TD pass to wide receiver Brian Brennan with just under five minutes left in regulation to go ahead 20-13, and then the Broncos fumbled the ensuing kickoff, finally just falling on the ball at their own 2. All the Browns had to do was make one third-down stop or force a turnover and the game was over. But the Browns couldn’t finish the deal, as John Elway executed “The Drive” and took his team for the tying touchdown after a 15-play, 98-yard drive. The deflated Browns lost 23-20 in overtime.

In 2002, in the AFC wild-card playoffs against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Browns, just two years removed from a 5-27 combined record in the their first two seasons in the expansion era, roared to a 23-7 lead with 9:23 left in the third quarter on the strength of Kelly Holcomb’s passing. He was picking the Steelers apart. And the Cleveland defense was stopping the Pittsburgh offense dead in its tracks. The Browns were ready to advance to the divisional round, and when they did, they were a team that no one would want to play. But then the Browns took their foot off the gas pedal on both sides of the ball and lost 36-33.

Then last year, in 2020, against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC divisional playoffs, the Browns, who were in the postseason for the first time in 18 years, rallied from a 19-3 deficit to close the gap to 22-17 in the fourth quarter, Then, after Patrick Mahomes was knocked out of the game with an injury, they intercepted back-up Chad Henne in the end zone and gave the ball back to the offense with all the momentum in the world. But the drive fizzled and, while trying to get the ball back again, the defense let Henne scramble on two successive plays for a game-clinching first down after the Browns backed him up to a third-and-16 situation.

Ugh.

The window of opportunity was not reopened for the Browns this season — it is never kept open for the same team for two straight years; it just doesn’t work that way — and instead the team of destiny this season, I really, truly believe, is the Cincinnati Bengals. They finished last in the AFC North in 2020, but they won the division title this season and then, in their first playoff appearance in 31 years, made big plays late to get a 26-19 win over the Raiders, who are now based in Las Vegas.

Their next opponent, in Saturday’s divisional round, is the Tennessee Titans, who were the team of destiny in 2019, coming out of nowhere to make it to the AFC Championship Game at Kansas City and the blowing out to a lightning-quick 10-0 lead over the Chiefs before falling apart and losing, This is really an old AFC Central game from when the Titans were named the Houston Oilers.

The Titans are the most physical team left in either conference. They can run the ball well, and they get after it on defense. It will be a tough match-up for the Bengals, but I think quarterback Joe Burrow and Co..will be able to throw the ball well enough to eke out another win.

And the Bengals will win because I am convinced that they’re destiny’s team. They just need to take advantage of the window of opportunity being flung open for them, something those four Browns teams, including the one last year, did not do.

Let’s see if I’m correct.

Or just crazy.

Still.

Always.

I see the three other divisional-round games this weekend this way:

*Saturday night — NFC — San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers — The 49ers can run the ball, which is the way to beat the run-porous Packers and keep the ball away from quarterback Aaron Rodgers. But the Packers will, at times, stop the run and force the 49ers to pass, which will expose the ineffectiveness of quarterback Jimmy Garappolo. The Packers will win, but not by much and not until the end. 

*Sunday — NFC — Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — This will also come down to a battle of quarterbacks — as most games, especially in the playoffs, do — and with some guy named Tom Brady, the defending Super Bowl champion Bucs have a huge edge over the Rams and Matthew Stafford, The Bucs win by 10 points.

*Sunday night — AFC — Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs — On paper at least, this appears to be the best game of the weekend. The Bills are talented and are rolling, and I still have questions about the Kansas City defense, especially against the run. But the Chiefs, in playing at home at Arrowhead Stadium, the toughest venue in the NFL, and having the third-best quarterback in the league behind Brady and Rodgers in Patrick Mahomes, still own a slight edge. Don’t be surprised, though, if it goes overtime.  

By Steve King

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