Bengals: Sunday changed me

Sunday’s Cincinnati Bengals loss did something to me. It made me wonder if I’m doing this wrong.

I rode the ‘fast start’ wave of 2-0. I crashed midway through Week 2 with the devastation of the Joe Burrow injury. I got worn watching a four game losing streak.

Following the win over the Steelers, I allowed myself to plot a path to a 5-4 record at the bye, and started constructing a bridge to the potential mid-December return of Burrow.

Then, Sunday happened.

I felt cuss out-loud angry.

Sunday night, I asked myself why I allow all of this to bother me?

This team lacks enough latent. It’s not a team, as much as a couple of great players, a handful of decent players, a group of just guys, and a smattering of never-will-be’s.

This team can’t tackle. The most basic of NFL exercises.

Words like ‘accountability’ are thrown around weekly, but never applied to anyone above the players.

We were sold this season under the guise that (1) Lou Anarumo was the problem, (2) the young guys would get better, (3) the bad luck of a year ago would even out this season.

The result? They sacrificed a good man that has found success in Indianapolis, while the defense has been revealed as the worst in the league.

Year six of Burrow could be the third straight missing the playoffs. That doesn’t make me sad. It makes me furious.

The de facto GM operates behind a curtain, leaving the coach as the face and explainer of all.

My talking points about Zac the play caller are yellowed, fading and crinkled from so much use.

Yes, they’ve lost 5 of 6. But they sit just a game and a half back of Pittsburgh in a wide open division. Nine opportunities remain and Joe Flacco has infused optimism into a dire situation. And I find hope in seeing Burrow walk the sidelines without a protective boot.

Come Sunday, I’ll be locked in again, like all the previous games over 50+ years. I’ll talk about them. I’ll take your calls about them.

But when the Bengals lost Sunday, something changed.

I wonder if it’s worth getting upset anymore.

Maybe I’m just tired of putting in more than I’m getting out with all of this.