Iosivas said he’s ready for whatever weather they face. Nothing could be worse than the game he played with Princeton against Dartmouth at Yankee Stadium as a sophomore in 2021.
“We didn’t have coats or warmers, so we were trenched up over there at Princeton,” Iosivas said. “That was probably 20 degrees, 19, 15, but no coats, so that was tough. I think I’m going to have to donate some coats this year because I’ve seen those guys on the sideline. I remember we went up to Cornell and it was raining, 20 degrees, no coats. It was bad, so we’ve got to do something about that.”
Athletic funding isn’t as much of a priority at his Ivy League alma mater, Iosivas said, noting after four years there without coats (three seasons of football), “it was honestly great” when he arrived to Cincinnati.
The Bengals provide players coats to wear on the sideline, and there are heaters to help, as well. Iosivas, like many players, also applies a layer of warming cream to his arms.
This week, the coaching staff made a point of keeping practices outdoors to ensure the team is ready for the biting cold Buffalo tends to bring this time of year. They practiced at Paycor Stadium on Wednesday and Thursday, rather than ducking into the indoor facility.
“I told our players, ‘Great news, it’s going to be cold in Buffalo and it’s going to be cold here the next couple of days,’ and so they were excited to hear that,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “So, we get a chance to get out there and work in the elements. We’re always very mindful of where we’re going to play and how we need to practice and like to get outside. The players like being outside at least for part of the week. And I don’t like to be inside every day if we can avoid it. Sometimes you can’t avoid it.”
Cincinnati played one of its most complete games in the Taylor era at Buffalo, the “snow game” that sent them to the AFC Championship game during the 2022 season.
Iosivas was preparing for the NFL Draft at that point.
Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were there, though. Burrow threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns with no picks, the running game produced 172 yards and the defense kept Josh Allen and the Bills offense in check before sealing the 27-10 win with an interception in the final two minutes.
Credit: Adrian Kraus
Credit: Adrian Kraus
Cincinnati will need to replicate that complementary football — something the Bengals also showed last week in the win at Baltimore — to find success against another good Buffalo team. Allen has consistently been among the top quarterbacks in the league, and he’s helped by the No. 1 running attack with James Cook rushing for more than 1,000 yards already.
“Every week presents a new challenge,” Taylor said. “You go from Pittsburgh to Baltimore to Buffalo, and everything is unique challenges in terms of what plays they’re calling and how they’re going to attack you different ways. Challenging.
“They’re not afraid to run the quarterback either. Third and less than five, and you might have a quarterback run coming at you. Low red zone, quarterback run coming at you. You’re not afraid to do that, that makes it an extra hat for them that makes it challenging. Our guys feel like they have a great plan in place. Now you’ve got to execute it.”
Burrow and company will be tested, as well.
The Bills bring the league’s best pass defense, allowing just 163.2 passing yards per game. Christian Benford has been covering opponents’ top receivers and likely will match up with Chase, who called him “real handsy” and aggressive.
The Bengals could get a big boost with Tee Higgins showing progress this week getting through concussion protocols. Chase said it would be big to have Higgins back, as Cincinnati needs to win out to have a shot at the AFC North title.
“Carry the momentum on,” Chase said, regarding what the Bengals need to do to get another win this week. “Defense did a good job just getting us turnovers, winning the turnover battle, and for the offense, I think we got to come out and execute better, make sure we get points on the board when we do get a turnover. That’s the biggest emphasis this week, just prepping ourselves and pushing ourselves to be better than last week.”
About the Author