By Dylan Paulson, Staff Writer

Learning that Joe Burrow had suffered a season-ending injury at the start of the 2023-24 season was a lowlight for all Bengals fans. Impressive as Burrow was, watching Jake Browning beat the Minnesota Vikings – his former team – provided just a glimmer of hope before it was inevitably snuffed out by their division rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

As the curtain was drawn on last season with the Bengal’s defeat at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs, the cries of “wait til next year!” could be heard throughout the hills and plains of Southern Ohio. Throughout the offseason, when asked, any Bengals fan would tell you “once Burrow is back, the team will look completely different.” This was the belief held deep in the hearts of all orange-and-black- wearing football fans throughout the city of Cincinnati all the way until the start of the preseason.

Suddenly, what was once just a dream of Burrow’s return became a reality. Preseason week one, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Burrow’s momentary return was at hand and the team could see a victory. That is, until the Buccaneers ended that hope with a win of 17-14. But fear not: there were still two preseason games left to go. Those games would end in more unfortunate losses: a 27-3 blowout to the Chicago Bears and a 27-14 defeat to the Indianapolis Colts. 

When the preseason ended the Bengals were 0-3. “No matter!” said the nation which cries “Who Dey,” because the preseason is but a test of players with no chance of making the final roster. A week one matchup against the meager New England Patriots, suffering from the woes of a brand new head coach, quarterback and system – the might of the Cincinnati Bengals would surely be put on full display, led by their quarterback in shining uniform Joe Burrow.

An offseason with no contract extension for Ja’Marr Chase would lead to sleepless nights even for those with nothing but optimism for the franchise. When the announcement came that the star receiver would play in the first game, victory seemed inevitable. There it is – the moment Bengals country had been waiting for ever since Burrow’s wrist was turned to mush. The chance to prove that they truly were back and ready to contend with the greatest of teams for a chance at a Super Bowl. But… but what’s this?

A Patriots third down conversion? A Jacoby Brissett touchdown? Do my eyes deceive me? A fumble by Tanner Hudson at the goal line? Suddenly, all those hopes and dreams of playoff relevance and Lombardi Trophies seem so far away for Bengals Nation. Down 13 at the half? To the Patriots? No, no – this can’t be! You have everything! Your quarterback, your star receiver, a revamped defense, a drive to win that should have been second to none! And yet, as the clock ticks down to all zeroes at the end of the fourth quarter and you look to the scoreboard and see 16-10, suddenly every belief you had about your season is cast into doubt. And as you look to next week – where your team faces the colossal challenge of the Chiefs, and perhaps the even more colossal challenge of Taylor Swift, all that hope begins to dissipate. And you find yourself thinking once again, even if only in the back of your mind, “Wait til next year!”