Thanksgiving is the holiday for family and indulgence. It’s perfect on paper, but sometimes, things get a bit out of control when everyone’s feasting away.

For families consisting of Cincinnati Bengals fans, this week may be especially tricky. Cincinnati plays on Thanksgiving night for the first time in 15 years, but the team is in the midst of a four-game losing streak. Tensions around the club are already high, and while real world topics can get heavy, we may as well stick to lighter subjects when it comes to sports, right?

So, let’s discuss some Bengals topics that may arise during dinner on Thanksgiving and reach a final decision: Is it worth discussing that with your family members?

Joe Burrow coming back from injury earlier than expected

You know there’s gonna be some Web MD doctors in your presence who think Burrow needs to sit the rest of the season and wait until his turf toe is fully healed. Do they know more than the doctors and training staff who’ve personally evaluated and treated his injury. The answer is no. Burrow returning to play in a lost season is a controversial topic, but ultimately, talking about injuries and faking knowledge about them is a useless endeavor.

Verdict: Avoid

Should Zac Taylor and Duke Tobin be fired?

If the season continues going down the drain, these are very real questions to be asked by the people running the Bengals. Taylor doesn’t seem like the leader this team needs right now, and Tobin’s inability to put together a roster for him as the “de facto general manager” (what a crazy title we have to give him) has become quite clear over the past few years. Calling for people’s jobs is usually unwarranted, but in this case, you get the green light.

Verdict: Talk

Ja’Marr Chase’s recent suspension

Your grandparents and elderly uncles are going to condemn Chase for spitting on Jalen Ramsey, or they’re going to be happy Ramsey got spit on for roughing up Chase during the game. I’d stick to observing this conversation rather than participating in it.

Verdict: Avoid

How surprisingly good Joe Flacco was

Flacco’s instant production after being traded to the Bengals was such a welcoming surprise, and he really was as good as he looked during those first few weeks. As long as everyone realizes he was indeed falling off of a cliff after the bye week partially due to his shoulder injury, this is something everyone can discuss with knowledge.

Verdict: Talk

Trey Hendrickson drama

Look, it’s been a hectic and frankly unfortunate year for one of the NFL’s best pass rushers. Hendrickson spent most of the offseason fighting for a new contract and ultimately failed at securing long-term security. He’s now also missed nearly half of the season due to injury, and considering he’s a free agent next offseason, that may spark parts of your family to believe he’s faking it or not being 100% committed to their favorite team. There will be nothing productive coming out of this conversation.

Verdict: Avoid

Lou Anarumo thriving as Al Golden fails

I’m with this one. Anarumo was fired after being made the scapegoat for last season’s porous defense, and the defense is even worse under Al Golden. Sure there are more layers to it, and Anarumo didn’t exactly do a great job maximizing the players he needed to utilize, but Cincinnati’s defensive problems are clearly more personnel-based than anything. Anarumo deserves some restitution.

Verdict: Talk

Mike Brown and the Blackburns

All of the Bengals’ problems can be traced back to ownership. There’s warranted criticism for Brown and his handling of the franchise for the past three decades, and how his daughter, Katie Blackburn, has taken the reins over the past several years. Their frugality, pettiness, and unwillingness to modernize operations has held them back in more ways than one. All of that is valid to discuss, but be careful talking morbidly about someone 90 years old on what’s supposed to be a happy holiday.

Verdict: Talk with caution

Cincinnati Bengals News

Bengals Report Card: Assessing how Cincinnati’s season has fallen into disarray right as Joe Burrow is set to return

Bad marks for Cincy.

John Sheeran