Quite A Celebration

Never has there been a Bengals locker room like the one Friday morning in the visitors’ locker room at M&T Bank Stadium. Since it was the first Thanksgiving win in team history, there was plenty of turkey around. When Taylor called out his game balls, they had to rip off a piece of turkey. When QB Joe Burrow got his, he passed on the turkey but seemed to taste a good deal of emotion.

It was the longest game ball list in several years, it seemed. Taylor always gives balls for turnovers, so five gave him a head start. Throw in running back Chase Brown’s Bengals-record sixth straight game with 100 yards from scrimmage, Evan McPherson’s career-best six field goals and Burrow’s return, and Adam Knollman’s equipment staff is nervous.

They also had to get one for Jeff Brickner, the Bengals’ 24/7 director of operations. A mechanical issue kept the Bengals’ charter on the tarmac for five hours, and they got to their hotel in Baltimore after midnight.

Rarely does a Brickner trip stray from the itinerary. Adding to the angst was the sprawling Thanksgiving dinner he had planned for players, coaches and staff at the hotel Wednesday night. Once the team switched planes (with Taylor grabbing the intercom and going through the boarding procedure like a Cincy to Atlanta flight attendant regular), Brickner’s meal came to life.

“They had this unbelievable Thanksgiving dinner that Brick had set up with the hotel people. I thought everybody would just grab their food and go. That ballroom was packed at one in the morning,” Taylor said. “Packed. There wasn’t an open seat at any table. So guys sat down there and ate their food and we let them sleep in and they responded with a big win.”

Since it was a night game, Taylor didn’t think the delay had any kind of an impact. He had nothing planned for preparation until Thursday morning.

“I thought what it did add was great team bonding and camaraderie,” Taylor said. “You’ve got issues and you face adversity. It was fun to watch people deal with that adversity. I thought Jeff Brickner did an unbelievable job. I thought the Delta people were phenomenal. Everyone’s just trying to problem-solve and keep the peace.

‘And our players responded unbelievably. Other than Ted (Karras) … I’d look back and you’re stressed for the players because they have to play the next day. But man, they were laughing. They were bonding. It was kind of one of those moments you can’t really create on your own.”

Slants and Screens

Taylor saved a good one to win his 50th game, joining Marvin Lewis (131), Sam Wyche (61) and Paul Brown (55) on the club’s all-time winning list …

It looks to be the Bengals’ first division road win on a Thursday night since Jeff Blake uncorked a perfect passer rating with three touchdowns and 275 yards in a 1995 win at Three Rivers Stadium against the Steelers …

The Bengals rushed for 128 yards, their most in a win over the Ravens under Taylor …