It comes down to this.

If there is such a thing as a must-win, tomorrow night’s game in SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles qualifies as one for the Cincinnati Bengals.

We have slipped past the midway point of the National Football League season, and the Men in Stripes are 4-6 and they sit on the outside looking in when it comes to having postseason aspirations.

If the Bengals drop to 4-7 with a loss to the Chargers on Sunday Night Football, Who Dey Nation will turn its attention to what the team needs to do to avoid a lost season in 2025. That is not at all what Bengals fans expected before the season kicked off, and undoubtedly the fanbase would rather put off looking at mock drafts and the like until the real offseason arrives.

The reality is the team has not performed up to most observers’ expectations, and winning close games – which is what contending teams must do in the parity world of the NFL – has eluded the Orange and Black this season. There is such a thin line in the league between winning and losing, and Cincinnati has found itself struggling to get over the hump, beginning with the disappointing home defeat at the hands of the New England Patriots way back in Week One.

There still remains a smidgeon of hope for the Bengals, and a win over a 6-3 Chargers team on the road will not be an easy task. First-year head coach Jim Harbaugh and the “Lightning Bolts” feature a solid defense – they haven’t allowed more than 20 points in a game this season — that will present problems for

the Cincy offensive line, which allowed the Ravens to repeatedly pummel Joe Burrow.

It is imperative that the guys up front give Burrow enough time to do his thing in the pocket and find open targets, especially the league’s best receiver, Ja’Marr Chase. Tee Higgins is also expected to make his return, which should be a boost to the offense. However, if the O-line struggles again, it will be a long night for the Bengals and Burrow.

The same goes for the defensive line, which will be trying to stop a strong Chargers ground game, led by former Ohio State star J.K. Dobbins. Quarterback Justin Herbert doesn’t have the glowing passing numbers this year that Burrow possesses, but part of the reason is the Chargers have shifted their philosophy to running the ball more since Harbaugh took over. Herbert is still an accurate thrower, and he has a pair of premier targets in rookie Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston.

The Chargers are seeking their fourth consecutive victory, but their three-game winning streak isn’t all that impressive when you look at the teams they’ve played. The mini-streak began with a 26-8 win over the Saints, followed by a 27-10 win in Cleveland, and last week, a 27-17 home triumph over Tennessee. They still count as wins, but the Bengals should give the Chargers more of a test than any of those teams.

Los Angeles enters as a slight favorite, but Cincinnati is a decidedly more desperate team, and if the line play holds up and the team avoids turnovers and costly penalties, the Bengals may just get the win they badly need.

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RESILIENT CATS OVERCOME DEFICIT – Things were looking rather bleak in the first half for Kentucky’s hopes in their clash with Duke in the Champions Classic on Tuesday night in Atlanta. The Cats trailed at intermission 46-37, and they were clearly outplayed by the Blue Devils during the first 20 minutes. Duke played outstanding on the defensive end, and forced Kentucky farther away from the basket than they preferred with their pressure “D.” Meanwhile, the Cats had a difficult time containing heralded freshmen Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, who tossed in 12 points apiece. UK was also getting outshot from the field and forced just one Duke miscue.

The next 20 minutes belonged to Kentucky.

The more experienced Wildcats turned the tables on the Dukies down the stretch. After Flagg drained a 3-pointer with 10:21 left in the game to give the Blue Devils a 61-53 lead, the Kentucky defense stiffened, holding Duke to just six points over the next eight minutes-plus. The Cats regained the lead with a 16-6 run, capped off by a layup from Otega Oweh with 2:40 remaining. Flagg answered with a jumper and a free throw to give Duke a 70-69 lead, but Kentucky’s Andrew Carr responded with an and-one to give the Cats a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the night.

Much of the credit has to go to new head coach Mark Pope and his staff for making the proper in-game adjustments necessary to overcome the taller, and supposedly more talented Blue Devils. That kind of coaching hasn’t been seen from the Kentucky coaching staff in recent years, but the real credit for the win has to go to the players who never wilted. Having a veteran team – the oldest in UK history — that has been

through the wars of college basketball cannot be overestimated.

Along with the outstanding play of Carr (17 points, five rebounds, three assists) and Oweh (15 points, six boards, three assists), the Cats received solid contributions from several other seasoned vets at various points in the game.

Point guard Lamont Butler led the team with four assists and had a key 3-point play in the second half, part of his nine-point effort.

Amari Williams missed several easy attempts, but the 7-footer still contributed 10 points and a team-high 10 rebounds.

Brandon Garrison came off the bench and was kind of an unsung hero with his eight points on 4-of-5 from the floor to go with four boards all being delivered at key moments.

Koby Brea also scored a rather quiet eight points and added five rebounds.

Kentucky already has a reputation as a team that will not hesitate to bomb away – and make a good percentage – of 3-pointers, but perhaps the most impressive aspects of this early-season test were the grit, resolve, and team defense on display. For an all-new roster, it’s indeed impressive how well this group shares the ball and doesn’t get flustered in a big moment.

The UK fanbase is quickly discovering that there is hope with Pope, and credit has to go to the school’s director of athletics, Mitch Barnhart, for having the foresight of giving the former Kentucky captain the opportunity.

Just a word of warning however to those dreaming of a trip to the Final Four: this team is not unbeatable, and there is an abundance of talented teams all across the country, with many

residing in the always formidable SEC. With that said, this will certainly be a fun team to watch, with their array of veteran talent. The real intrigue about what was basically a mystery team is when you ask the big questions:

Just how much will they continue to progress and improve?

How good can they be by March?

We know that for one night anyway that this bunch of “old Cats” can play with anybody in college basketball, even against the team that the folks at ESPN love unconditionally. During the telecast, we continuously heard of the greatness of 17-year-old Cooper Flagg from former Duke forward Jay Bilas, and yes, the freshman is an outstanding player with a lot of skills, especially one that is so young.

But at crunch time, he showed his immaturity with a pair of critical turnovers. Duke coach Jon Scheyer may be having second thoughts on his late game strategy. It is easy to second guess, but apparently the ball should’ve been in the hands of junior point guard Tyrese Proctor, who had 12 points and zero turnovers.

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“We’ve got a good football team. Our record doesn’t yet show that. There’s still time. This team is going to be there at the end. This is tough one because you are right there, and it felt like you kind of let that one slip away. But at the same time, O still believe in these guys. They believe in each other. There’s a lot of football left to play.” – Bengals coach Zac Taylor, following the 35-34 loss at Baltimore that dropped the team to 4-6

********** “To lodge all power in one party and keep it there is to insure bad government and the sure and gradual deterioration of the public morals.” – Mark Twain