Why Bills Fans Should Root for The Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI

Today’s the big game, Super Bowl LVI. Unfortunately, the Buffalo Bills are not playing tonight. However, I’m sure plenty of fans will still have a rooting interest in this game; whether it be the Los Angeles Rams, the Cincinnati Bengals, or their prop bets to hit. For those fans who are still undecided on which team to root for, why not the Bengals?

The Bills and Bengals have squared off now and then. But the game that fans from both sides will never forget is the 1988 AFC Championship game at Riverfront Stadium. The Bengals won that game by a score of 21-10. They went on to lose to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIII.

One of the biggest heartbreaks in Buffalo Bills history was in January 2000, when the Tennessee Titans beat the Bills 22-16 in the “Music City Miracle”. While the Titans defeated the Bills in Nashville this past season in another heartbreaker, the Bengals met the Titans in this past year’s AFC Divisional Playoff. The Bengals would defeat the Titans on a last-second field goal from rookie kicker Evan McPherson in a 19-16 win.

One of the Buffalo Bills’ newest enemies is Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Buffalo defeated the Chiefs once this season, 38-20 at Arrowhead. However, the Bills would fall to them in the AFC Divisional Round. In my opinion, “13 seconds” is the new wide right and Music City Miracle all together. Meanwhile, the Bengals met, and defeated, the Chiefs twice in the last month-plus of the season. (Both times by game-winning field goals from rookie kicker Evan McPherson.) The Bengals saved us from watching Patrick Mahomes in the big game (again) and probably still seeing his State Farm commercials.

I am proudly rooting for the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday for many reasons. They’re a small market team who’s endured decades of mediocrity, longing for another chance to win their first Lombardi. (Sound familiar?) Also, their last-minute victory over the Baltimore Ravens Week 17, 2017 broke Buffalo’s infamous playoff drought. This seems like the perfect time for Bills fans to repay the favor.