From the start of Sunday’s AFC divisional round game between the Bengals and Bills it was clear which team had the upper hand. The Bengals’ impressive 27-10 win propelled them into the AFC Championship game for the second straight season, proving once again that they can play (and win) against the best.
The Bengals’ recent success has a lot to do with quarterback Joe Burrow as well as some other stars like wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. You’ve got a young group eager to erase the feelings of last year’s Super Bowl loss to the Rams with a win this year, and their willingness has shown throughout the season but especially of late.
You’re on a 10 game winning streak and you have to go all the way back to Halloween to find a loss.
At his season-ending press conference, Bills general manager Brandon Beane spoke about the Bengals’ success and gave them a little shout-out on how they’ve become a force in the AFC. He said their youth and being able to pay players lower salaries were part of the reason they won and explained the differences in cap space between the two franchises.
“These guys have their rookie deals. We’re paying Stefon Diggs a pretty big number. We’re paying Josh Allen a pretty big number. Well there [are] the limitations of the cap, but they have a really good team,” Beane said (via Sports Illustrated). “They have some good young players. We’ll try to get as many good players as possible through draft and freehand. But here, too, our cap situation is a bit different.”
Beane said Cincinnati’s losing history meant they drafted a star player early in the draft, a position he doesn’t want to be in.
“They have a good team. They have the advantage of a rookie quarterback contract right now. They’ve had a few lean years and, without getting too into their build-up, I don’t want to be so bad that I have to do Ja’Marr Chase,” Beane said. “He’s a bloody talent, I’d love to have him. But for that you have to go through a few lean years.”
The “tail of the talent” goes to the AFC championship game while the Bills have to watch from home. Chase was drafted by the Bengals in 2021 with the No. 5 overall pick.
This season he had 87 receptions for 1,046 yards, an average of 12 yards per catch, and nine touchdowns. In his career, the 22-year-old has 168 receptions for 2,501 yards and 22 touchdowns. His resume also includes NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2021 and two Pro Bowl selections.