The Bengals just can’t seem to catch a break.Cincinnati is now officially on a three-game skid since losing Joe Burrow to a turf toe injury, where they’ve been overwhelmingly outscored by their opponents by a 113-37 margin.Even though Cincinnati managed to record its narrowest loss (37-24) of the season so far to the Detroit Lions, possible growing evidence of fan fatigue for the team’s three consecutive clobberings began to bubble up to the surface in the stands of Paycor Stadium on Sunday.On the whole, Paycor appeared to draw a pretty sizable turnout during the team’s fifth game of the season, with the majority of the stadium’s seats seen to be full.However, one other thing was also inescapably apparent about the fans who chose to show up to fill the stands: A lot of them weren’t Cincinnati’s.During the matchup at Paycor Stadium, the Bengals sought to “Stripe the Jungle,” where the team hoped to have the stands look like black and orange tiger stripes as they played in their second home game of the season. They did this by asking fans to wear colored jerseys accordingly based on which section they sat in.Although in reality, from pictures taken of the game both by WLWT and others, it appears that the Lions didn’t just throw a wrench into the Bengals’ plans for control of the field, but also in the stands.Instead of only orange and black at Paycor, a very sizeable chunk of blue could be seen strewn into the mix of colors, with Lions fans visibly spread far and wide across all corners of the stands.It remains unknown if this influx of Detroit blue is more indicative of strong fan support for an insurgent Lions team, or weak fan support for a Bengals team that appears to be in disarray without Burrow. However, what is undeniable is that the underwhelming attendance of Bengals fans at the game also comes amid the growing backdrop of vocalized frustration with the team day by day on social media, which has also turned into some explicit calls for boycotts for fans to stop attending the team’s games until leadership changes are made. The Bengals have seven home games left in the season, with the next test for home support amongst fans coming on Oct. 16. There, the Bengals will take on their single-biggest rival across the NFL in the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium.Regardless of what happens on the field, attention will no doubt also be shifting to the stands as well during the game for clues about what it may mean for the current state of morale amongst a Bengals fanbase that has now seen its team get clobbered in three straight games, with another NFL heavyweight in the Green Bay Packers on the horizon.
CINCINNATI —
The Bengals just can’t seem to catch a break.
Cincinnati is now officially on a three-game skid since losing Joe Burrow to a turf toe injury, where they’ve been overwhelmingly outscored by their opponents by a 113-37 margin.
Even though Cincinnati managed to record its narrowest loss (37-24) of the season so far to the Detroit Lions, possible growing evidence of fan fatigue for the team’s three consecutive clobberings began to bubble up to the surface in the stands of Paycor Stadium on Sunday.
On the whole, Paycor appeared to draw a pretty sizable turnout during the team’s fifth game of the season, with the majority of the stadium’s seats seen to be full.
However, one other thing was also inescapably apparent about the fans who chose to show up to fill the stands: A lot of them weren’t Cincinnati’s.
WLWT/Jaron May
The stands of Paycor Stadium as they appeared during the Bengals-Lions game on Oct. 5.
During the matchup at Paycor Stadium, the Bengals sought to “Stripe the Jungle,” where the team hoped to have the stands look like black and orange tiger stripes as they played in their second home game of the season. They did this by asking fans to wear colored jerseys accordingly based on which section they sat in.
Dylan Buell
An overview of Paycor Stadium as it appeared before the Bengals-Lions game on Oct. 5.
Although in reality, from pictures taken of the game both by WLWT and others, it appears that the Lions didn’t just throw a wrench into the Bengals’ plans for control of the field, but also in the stands.
Dylan Buell
Lions fans stand next to Bengals fans at Paycor Stadium during the teams’ Week 5 matchup on Oct. 5.
Instead of only orange and black at Paycor, a very sizeable chunk of blue could be seen strewn into the mix of colors, with Lions fans visibly spread far and wide across all corners of the stands.
Dylan Buell
A large contingent of Lions fans cheer near the endzone as Detroit scores a touchdown.
It remains unknown if this influx of Detroit blue is more indicative of strong fan support for an insurgent Lions team, or weak fan support for a Bengals team that appears to be in disarray without Burrow. However, what is undeniable is that the underwhelming attendance of Bengals fans at the game also comes amid the growing backdrop of vocalized frustration with the team day by day on social media, which has also turned into some explicit calls for boycotts for fans to stop attending the team’s games until leadership changes are made.
The Bengals have seven home games left in the season, with the next test for home support amongst fans coming on Oct. 16. There, the Bengals will take on their single-biggest rival across the NFL in the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium.
Regardless of what happens on the field, attention will no doubt also be shifting to the stands as well during the game for clues about what it may mean for the current state of morale amongst a Bengals fanbase that has now seen its team get clobbered in three straight games, with another NFL heavyweight in the Green Bay Packers on the horizon.