Why Bengals' ability to overcome tough start will help in postseason The Cincinnati Bengals needed a game like that. Heading into Sunday's game, the Bengals were on a five-game winning streak looking to take first place in the AFC North. And by halftime, it looked like Cincinnati was going to be in for a long flight home as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dominated the first half. The Bengals trailed 17-3 and all signs pointed to it being the end of the win streak. This game was different than the last five we've seen from the Bengals where they've come out of the gate on fire. As the Bengals started to claw their way back into the game, their confidence continued to rise. The team with the 26-year-old quarterback was making the team with the 45-year-old quarterback look overmatched. The Week 15 win wasn't one of Joe Burrow's favorites because of how the game started. But this game showed the Bengals are a different team than they were on Halloween night when they lost to the Cleveland Browns on Monday night football. They proved they can win even if things don't go their way. "It was probably one of those games that we needed, to be honest with you," head coach Zac Taylor said following the win. "Kind of smacked in the mouth and responded the right way. The first half wasn't what we're about." Tampa Bay turned the ball over on four consecutive drives and it ended up telling the story of the game. Quarterback Tom Brady threw two interceptions and recorded one fumble. Running back Leonard Fournette recorded a fumble and the Buccaneers failed on their fake punt attempt at the start of the third quarter with a fumble as well. The talent the Bengals possess on their roster makes them a difficult matchup for just about any team in the NFL right now. Now they've added something that makes them even more dangerous – confidence. And their confidence stems from their franchise quarterback. Burrow's stat line from the win over the Bucs won't overwhelm you. He completed 27 of 39 passes for 200 yards and four second-half touchdowns. It's his ability to keep his teammates believing, which separates him. "Teams like we have, we just find ways to win games," Burrow said. "Guys just keep stepping up. The last four weeks have all been tough wins. We've risen to the challenge just about every week." Several players in Cincinnati's locker room said following the game they never thought they were out of the game, despite the score at the half. When the Bengals needed to be at their best in the second half and make plays, they capitalized on their opportunities. Wide receivers Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase all scored touchdowns and made significant plays in the second half. Higgins and Boyd were both battling injuries and didn't let it slow their production. The Bengals don't want to hear anyone say the Bucs coughed up the game. It's easy to say following the game if Tampa hadn't turned the ball over four straight times, who knows what would have happened. Not if you ask defensive end Joseph Ossai."You got to go take them," Ossai said if people downplay the Bengals ability to create turnovers. "I don't care if they gifted it to us, you still have to go take it. If you get a fumble, you gotta recover it. If you get an interception, you have to make a great read. You gotta beat the offensive linemen to get a hit on the quarterback to make him lob it. It wasn't gift wrapped or whatever. We got the interceptions. We got the turnovers."Logan Wilson forced a fumble. Tre Flowers and Germaine Pratt picked off Tom Brady. The Bengals made plays at every level of their defense in the second half. The Bengals were able to win on the road in a hostile environment against the greatest quarterback to ever play the game without several of their best players on defense. Trey Hendrickson didn't play due to a wrist injury and the Bengals lost Sam Hubbard during the game to a calf injury. Slot cornerback Mike Hilton was also sidelined due to an injury. Rookie Cam Taylor-Britt injured his shoulder and was ruled out. Cincinnati overcame a lot of adversity on the defensive side of the ball in the win. The Bengals are ready for some respect on defense. "Every week you have to prove yourself," cornerback Eli Apple said. "Everybody is going to think we're sweet because we basically put up numbers on offense like crazy. But nobody wants to acknowledge what we are doing on defense during this six-game stretch. We know what the difference has been, so we just have to keep it going." Kelsey Conway, The Cincinnati Examiner, published 19 December 2022