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Columns, reactions, polls and memes for @Reds @Bengals @FCCincinnati Bearcats and Musketeers. Grab a cup of coffee and read my columns 😁

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@Bengals magic formula riddle easy to solve

In June, a young fan at Fanatics Fest proudly shared with the cameras that Joe Burrow was the best because he plays for the Cincinnati Bengals. But he also gave a stern warning to the superstar quarterback.

“Better make the playoffs,” he told Burrow.

Many people laughed at the cute conversation. But It was especially hilarious for Cincinnati fans aged 30 to 35. Because when we were kids, the idea of the Bengals making the playoffs was far-fetched, let alone something we felt we should demand.

But the conversation was also heartwarming. Making sure that no future generation of Cincinnati sports fans becomes lost, like we are, is important to me. A child expecting the Bengals to do well is far healthier than the cynical, pessimistic expectations we had growing up.

And while Burrow assured the youth that he was in for a better season, that turned out not to be true. The Bengals' season went to the dumps as soon as Burrow suffered a grade 3 toe injury that forced him to miss months, and the team lost week after week.

Now the franchise is left picking up the pieces, and everyone has an opinion on how the future should look.

Many, and I mean many, want to fire head coach Zac Taylor. Maybe he should be.

The national media continue to push the narrative they’ve been hell-bent on pushing since Burrow entered the NFL Draft back in 2020: that he should leave Cincinnati for someplace else. That should not happen.

 The Bengals absolutely need to conduct extensive reevaluations in the offseason. But the most important thing is to diagnose how to keep their offensive stars fresh and healthy in 2026.

Since 2023, the Bengals have a better than .600 winning percentage when Burrow, Tee Higgins, and Ja’marr Chase are on the field. When one or more of the players don’t suit up, their winning percentage drops to around .300.
This year, the Bengals are 3-1 when all three play. They are 2-9 when one or more don’t.

It is easy to admonish the Bengals for the poor defensive units they've assembled over the last few years. And let’s be clear:  the Bengals must address their deficiencies this offseason, and the players on the team must continue to improve.

But the Bengals' magic formula for getting back to the glory years of the early 2020s, when they made the Super Bowl and the AFC Championship Game in back-to-back seasons, may not be as complicated as some make it out to be.

It’s keeping the Bengals Trio in uniform and off the injury list.

“You just see how it changes. How the defenses play us and all the different things that they’re worried about and all the different looks that we show,” Burrow said during his postgame comments after the team’s 45-21 win over the Dolphins Sunday.

He was responding to a question about what it’s like when he, Higgins, and Chase are all on the field.

“It provides us with more versatility, more things we can do, more personnel packages, it just really opens up for us.”

There isn’t an easy fix or way to keep the three healthy. And I am far from an orthopedic surgeon or strength and conditioning coach. But an offensive game plan that encourages Burrow to release the ball quicker (including throwing it away more often) is a start. And keeping an open mind for how the team is handling Tee Higgins’ training and conditioning is a must.

The kid at Fanatics Fest was right to demand more. We didn’t know any better. We accepted the losing because we thought it was our birthright. But if the Bengals don't figure out how to keep their stars on the turf, they aren't just losing games—they are teaching a new generation of fans exactly what many in my generation learned: that it’s safer not to care.

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@ClayTravis They are a great squad. U.S. has their hands full

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@LanceMcAlister He is so funny

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Did @Reds TV just hit us with a Jackson Cheerio montage?

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Kind of a strange broadcast Saturday for @RealMichaelKay and @PaulONeillYES

- Said Arroyo is hitting .190 — he’s actually hitting closer to .240

- Said Sal Stewart was called up in late April. He actually started Opening Day and was NL Rookie of the Month in April.

I wonder where they got the game notes from?

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@Return_Of_RB @JeffNadu The only thing you should be apologizing for his covering your mouth and not letting @JeffNadu see what you were saying. That was not being a #ManofHonor @stoolpresidente

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Should the Reds try to extend Hunter Greene right now 👀

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Did the World Baseball Classic break Paul Skenes?

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@Reds Dynasty Dynasty Dynasty

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@PBrennanENQ @HeyGingersaurus Maybe the Reds will turn a new leaf this year

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@GDubMLB @HeyGingersaurus What the hell happened!?

[Charlie Goldsmith @CharlieG__]

When asked if the Reds will talk with starting pitching free agents, Krall said no.

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@MLBPipeline @Reds Grossly underrated shame on you

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@Reds @mattmclain_ Thank you for letting us watch this show 👏

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@Reds @BlakeDu1 👀👀

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@autyelmore “Don't ever wanna act too high and mighty
'Cause tomorrow, I can fall down on my face”

Lord I thank you for sunshine, I thank you for rain!

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@Reds What have you done today to let the fans watch these games?

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@Reds Okay I’m impressed Admin but I’m sorry you have to come up with such concepts

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@Reds No video? We can’t watch the game like it’s the 1980s

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@Ben13Porter A review is action. Not standing around knocking dirt off a shoe