Recapping every game the Bengals have worn their "White Bengal" uniform ahead of its next appearance vs Eagles
The Cincinnati Bengals will host the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend, and will do so in style. Sunday's game will be the only time this season the Bengals will don their "White Bengal" alternate uniforms featuring white helmets, jersey, pants, and socks. It's not only a clean look, but a very successful one as well.Cincinnati is 4-0 […]
The Cincinnati Bengals will host the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend, and will do so in style.
Sunday's game will be the only time this season the Bengals will don their "White Bengal" alternate uniforms featuring white helmets, jersey, pants, and socks. It's not only a clean look, but a very successful one as well.
Cincinnati is 4-0 in games featuring its white helmets being worn with all-white threads. Variations of the monochromatic jerseys and pants have been around since 2016, but the specific helmet has only existed since 2022.
Here's a quick recap of all four of those wins from the past two years.
2022, Week 4: 27-15 win vs Miami Dolphins
The first time the white helmets came out was on "Thursday Night Football" in front of a whiteout home crowd. The Bengals hosted the Dolphins early on in the 2022 season and needed a win to get back to .500 after a 1-2 start. It was also the night of the team's second annual Ring of Honor ceremony as franchise legends Willie Anderson and Isaac Curtis were enshrined at half time.
Before the half, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa hit his head hard on the turf and exited the game with a scary concussion. Teddy Bridgewater finished the game for Miami but couldn't keep up with a Bengals' offense that scored 13 points in the fourth quarter. Tight end Hayden Hurst caught Joe Burrow's second touchdown on the night with just two minutes remaining to seal the game.
Tagovailoa's injury is unfortunately the most memorable part of this game as he's still dealing with concussion scares to this day.
2022, Week 11: 37-30 win at Pittsburgh Steelers
The uniform was taken on the road for the first time two months later. Cincinnati was coming off a dominant win over the Carolina Panthers with an intense rivalry matchup against the Steelers on deck. The over/under for this game was just 40 points as the Bengals were playing without Ja'Marr Chase, and the Steelers' offense had the fifth-worst EPA/dropback in the league entering the week.
What ensued was the highest-scoring game of the Bengals' season, and proof that Burrow didn't always need to lean on Chase. Burrow threw for 355 yards and four touchdowns (three to running back Samaje Perine) and let everyone in Pittsburgh know who runs the AFC North.
Cincinnati's win secured back-to-back victories at (what was formerly known as) Heinz Field. The last time the Bengals accomplished that was in 2006.
2023, Week 3: 19-16 win vs Los Angeles Rams
In 2022, the Bengals had to wear their old white-black jerseys with the new white helmets because of NFL rules. The club then designated their white jersey-white pants-white socks combination as an alternate, which allowed them to wear their white helmets with their updated jersey design. They debuted what's now the official "White Bengal" uniform on "Monday Night Football" last year against the team that beat them in Super Bowl LVI.
The Bengals were 0-2 and Burrow was dealing with a calf strain. It wasn't a given he would play in this game, but the extra day of rest helped him take the field and lead a gutsy victory in front of another whiteout crowd.
Past greats Boomer Esiaison and Chad Johnson went into the Ring of Honor, Joe Mixon scored the home team's only touchdown in the third quarter, and the Bengals squeaked out a win to avoid an 0-3 start.
2023, Week 13: 34-31 win at Jacksonville Jaguars
Times were tough leading up to kickoff of this game. Burrow suffered his season-ending wrist injury two weeks prior, and Jake Browning had a terrible first start in his place the following week. There was minimal hope for Browning to conduct a functional offense on the road against an 8-3 Jaguars team with eyes on the playoffs.
That's why they play the games.
Browning and the offense came alive for 34 points after posting a goose egg in the first quarter and won an overtime thriller on "Monday Night Football." It would be the first of three-straight wins for the Bengals as their playoff hopes would stay alive up until Week 17. It was also the start of four-straight losses for the Jags, who ended up missing the playoffs.
Bengals will continue scratching and clawing for respect unless a switch flips over the next month
Cincinnati has yet to do one important thing this season.
