Bengals ran into a problem ahead of Thanksgiving game before even leaving Cincinnati
The Bengals experienced some familiar Thanksgiving pain.
Traveling for Thanksgiving always has the potential to be a pain. Tens of millions of Americans hit the road or the skies to be with their loved ones for the national holiday, and that can cause problems galore, even for NFL teams.
How about a plane not working and an ensuing five-hour delay? That’s certainly a possibility, and one the Cincinnati Bengals (3-8) ran into Wednesday evening before finally arriving in the Charm City to play a Thursday night game against the Baltimore Ravens (6-5).
Bengals dealt with major delay for Thanksgiving eve flight
Following a light practice Wednesday afternoon, the Bengals were set to fly out of Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky International Airport. Per WLWT’s Charlie Clifford, the team had to exit their original plane and board another, which put them 5.5 hours behind schedule.
The team did not arrive to their hotel in Baltimore until 12:30 a.m. ET.
Short weeks of rest entail expedited travel plans, and the margin for error is much more slim. Any delay has the potential to impact the rest of the trip. Luckily for Cincinnati, the players and coaches took off and arrived before it was too late in the night.
An 8:20 p.m. kickoff also leads to a different lead up the day of the game. Players can sleep in a little more and don’t even get to the stadium until late in the afternoon.
In short, the Bengals will be fine for tonight’s game.
Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase are set to return from injury and suspension, respectively, and play their first game together since Week 2. Cincinnati has won seven consecutive games with Burrow as the starter, but has not emerged victorious in Baltimore since 2021.
A win would keep the Bengals barely alive in the AFC North race with the Ravens surging at the moment. A loss would confirm Cincinnati’s first losing season since 2020 when Burrow was a rookie and missed half the year with his first major injury, and Chase was still in college.
Both teams are in Baltimore now, and will conclude this season’s Thanksgiving triple-header.
Cincinnati Bengals News
Bengals Injury Report: Joe Burrow vs. Lamar Jackson showdown officially set in motion
Burrow vs. Jackson is official.
