The Bengals May Just Be The Super Bowl Longshot Worth Taking

The Cincinnati Bengals are scared of no one, and that makes them very dangerous.

As Cincinnati gets ready to head to Kansas City this weekend with an AFC title on the line, it's important that we look beyond just the trends or numbers that have gotten us to this point with these teams. Sometimes it's more than that, and with the longest odds to win the Super Bowl (+795 consensus), Joe Burrow and the Bengals are the perfect example of a dangerous underdog.

Are they the best team? Nope. Are there some weaknesses that really stand out? Yup. Do they still have to get through the Chiefs this weekend? Of course, but they've already beaten them once this season, so that's certainly promising.

None of that has stopped them from overachieving this entire year, so it's worth considering those long odds if you're thinking about a value play on a Super Bowl winner.

That's the whole point of picking a longshot anyway, right? You have to forget that it's easier to talk yourself out of them because there's just something there that still makes it worth the risk.

"Attitude Reflects Leadership, Captain"

Even though he was sacked a whopping nine times, Burrow still threw for 348 yards in the Bengals' win over the Titans on Saturday. If I told you that any quarterback was going to be sacked that many times in a game, you'd most likely lean the other way with just about any pick right?

That's how this team operates; they just find a way. Holding Derrick Henry to 3.1 yards per carry was a huge deal, even if it was his first game back. Picking off Ryan Tannehill three times also made up for the sacks in some ways as well, getting some extra possessions back for Burrow and the offense. Heck, even kicker Evan McPherson proved to be a massive difference-maker, hitting that clutch game-winning 52-yard field goal after apparently calling his shot even before the kick.

Burrow's confidence has spread through this locker room, and the famous quote from "Remember the Titans" without a doubt comes to mind when you think of the change in the Bengals' personality as a team: "attitude reflects leadership, captain".

Just like Julius told Gerry in that pivotal scene that helped change the whole trajectory of those Titans' season (a motto more bosses should follow, right?), Burrow has embraced his role as the franchise quarterback and lifted everyone up around him in the process. Couple that with the fact that they clearly have more confidence than ever given how far they've already come, and anything is possible in this wild, unpredictable NFL season.

The Bengals may not be the favorite, but that's nothing new for them, and it hasn't stopped them yet.

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