Bengals legend pours cold water on team's hot streak: 'Let’s do this against the good teams'
TJ Houshmandzadeh played for Cincy from 2001 to 2008
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Cincinnati Bengals offense seems to finally be clicking, but the team is still having trouble getting in the W column.
They did just beat the Las Vegas Raiders, 41-24, on Sunday, but they were walloped by the Philadelphia Eagles the week prior and squeaked by the lowly Cleveland Browns and New York Giants.
Sure, it's three wins in their last four games, but all three of those wins have come against teams that have combined for six victories.
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T.J. Houshmandzadeh of the Cincinnati Bengals is shown during a preseason game on Aug. 13, 2006, in Cincinnati. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
That's why former Bengals star T.J. Houshmandzadeh isn't ready to start celebrating just yet.
"I don’t know if it’s exciting – we’ve been teams that won’t be participating come playoff time," the ex-Bengal said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cincy faces its division rival in the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday – losing to them, 41-38, earlier this season – but Houshmandzadeh will be full-steam ahead if the Bengals can split the season series.
"That excitement will be genuine excitement Friday if we’re victorious over the Ravens. To me, that is the biggest key. You have to beat the better teams," Houshmandzadeh said. "You have to beat the teams that people don’t expect you to beat. You dug yourself a hole, now you got to get out of it. The Ravens is one of the teams that you see first as you’re getting out of this hole. That excitement is not there yet until we start beating teams that we consider good teams."
Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh of the Bengals is shown during a game on Nov. 28, 2004, in Cincinnati. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The fans have been excited, though.
Houshmandzadeh joined the Bengals faithful at a recent tailgate as part of his new partnership with Tide, where he recklessly downed some Skyline Chili with zero repercussions.
"Obviously, you’re going to drink, eat, play games. I stained my sweater – Skyline Chili all down my sweater – and I was disappointed. But then I’m like, ‘Tide is going to clean this better than ever.' So I was perfectly fine with it. I knew that Tide tackles the toughest of stains, so I was alright," Houshmandzadeh said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Being out there with the fans was a good experience. I hadn’t done it before. It was fun. No one is doing a game day like Cincinnati. I’m biased, but it was awesome, I had fun, and I look forward to doing it again."
And, for what it's worth, Houshmandzadeh is confident the Bengals will pull out the victory on the road.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh of the Bengals carries the ball during a game on Oct. 26, 2008, in Houston. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I am confident, but I don't know if I say that with my heart or my head," he said. "You look at the first game, up 10 with less than four minutes left, you got to win that game. … If they get that same offense and just a little bit more from the defense, obviously we would win."
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