When the Cincinnati Bengals upset AFC No. 1 seed Tennessee on Saturday, it snapped a streak of 33 years since they last appeared in the AFC championship game.
You don’t have to follow the Bengals to know there have been a lot of bad Bengals teams over the years, with many first-round busts at quarterback. The eras of Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton were good for the Bengals, but they still experienced no postseason success.
Then, Cincinnati drafted Joe Burrow No. 1 overall in 2020 — one pick ahead of Washington — and the trajectory of its franchise has completely changed.
Another interesting takeaway from Cincinnati’s win over the Titans is that two teams are tied for the longest drought since their last appearance in a conference championship game.
Those teams? The Washington Football Team and Detroit Lions. Interestingly enough, Washington and Detroit met in the 1991-92 NFC championship game, which Washington won, 41-10. Washington would go on to defeat the Bills to win Super Bowl XXVI.
Think about that for a minute, Washington hasn’t been to an NFC championship game in 30 years. And, Washington is tied with the Detroit Lions. Yes, the Detroit Lions.
With the Bengals’ win yesterday, here’s an updated look at the teams with the longest active droughts of not making a conference championship appearance. pic.twitter.com/cwTkarxhIs
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 23, 2022
Like the Bengals, since Washington’s last appearance in a conference championship, it has gone through multiple regime changes and quarterbacks busts.
It’s all about the quarterback. Good luck to Ron Rivera finding that guy who can change the trajectory of Washington’s franchise.