The Cincinnati Bengals are back in the postseason for the first time since the 2015 season.
But simply being back is not good enough for fans.
They want to see a win.
The Bengals currently own the longest playoff victory drought in the NFL at 31 years.
Their last postseason win came during the 1990 season and since then they have suffered eight consecutive playoff losses.
Even the Detroit Lions have a more recent playoff win, which came one year later in 1991.
Joe Burrow and Zac Taylor are now trying to do something that has been impossible in Cincinnati for far too long.
Bengals 31-year playoff losing streak could now come full circle: The streak started against the Raiders in January 1991 and now the Bengals will be playing the Raiders in the postseason for the first time since the streak started. #Raiders #Bengals
— John Breech (@johnbreech) January 10, 2022
A Painful Stretch Of Postseason Play
The Bengals lost in the Super Bowl during the 1988 season and then in the Divisional Round in the 1990 season.
No one expected that it would take until 2005 just to get back to the postseason.
They lost that year in the Wild Card Round, and suffered the same fate in 2009.
But the real definitive stretch of this historic drought came from 2011-2015, when the Bengals lost five consecutive Wild Card matchups.
Burrow is now hoping to end this trend that Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton could not overcome.
Will the Bengals break their streak this Saturday against the Raiders?? pic.twitter.com/24dKep0Kru
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 13, 2022
So far, Burrow does look like the real deal and a perennial star for years to come.
Bengals fans still need to see him win in the postseason before crowning him as the franchise savior.
This weekend’s matchup is interesting because the Bengals are taking on the Las Vegas Raiders, who own the fourth-longest postseason victory drought at 19 years.
That latest win advanced the team to the Super Bowl and they have only been to the postseason once since then.
One drought is coming to an end on Saturday.
For the Bengals in particular, this may be their best chance at success since way back in 1988.
NEXT: Joe Burrow Set For His First True NFL Test