Bengals likely will be underdogs from here out, per ESPN

Winning as an underdog is always satisfying.

Tee Higgins is dealing with nagging injuries.

The defense isn’t as effective as it has been in recent years.

All of these individual turds have combined to form the massive sewer clog that is the 2023 Cincinnati Bengals season. They are 5-6 heading into a Week 13 Monday Night Football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are more than a touchdown favorite.

According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Bengals being the underdog will likely be a recurring theme for the rest of the season. Without Burrow and with a defense that can struggle to get off the field at times, the Bengals are ranked 22nd in the NFL, trailing every team they face to finish the season.

The two closest teams to them, according to ESPN, are the Colts (6-5) and the Browns (7-4). The Bengals face the Colts next week in Cincinnati, and they play the Browns in Week 18, also at home.

Being the underdog has obvious advantages. Winning is more enjoyable as a fan when your team is the underdog. Also, if the Bengals lose every game, they’ll have a top-10 pick, and the last time Joe Burrow had a top-10 pick, it was Ja’Marr Chase, and the Bengals won the Super Bowl.

This is what will happen. The Bengals will lose more games than they win, but in a game where they are expected to lose, they will rock out, and we will have a lot of fun watching them ruin someone else’s season.

Similar to when this occurred:

Remember how much fun that game was?

Winning it didn’t get us anything, it was just fun to watch. So sit back and enjoy the show!

Just Saying.