Bengals running back Joe Mixon doubled down on his claim that Cincinnati is the AFC's "big dogs" this week. Former NFL player and current FS1 Speak analyst Emmanuel Acho loved the confidence.
Player to player, Acho thinks Mixon has a point.
"Are the Bengals a big dog in the AFC? Absolutely," Acho said on the show. "We can have a conversation of who historically has been the big dog and go back five years, but right here right now. I love what Joe Mixon said and his comments two-five (co-host LeSean McCoy) are absolutely fact."
Mixon and the Bengals own the NFL's second-longest winning streak after entering the season as reigning AFC champions.
"If you were gonna say anybody in the AFC is a big dog, you'd likely say it's the Kansas City Chiefs," Acho said. "That makes a lot of sense practically. But then the Cincinnati Bengals have beaten the Kansas City Chiefs three straight times. Joe Burrow in fact, fun fact has never lost to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs and not just meaningless regular season games—America we're talking about in the playoffs, with everything on the line.
"Legacies and dollars included, Joe Burrow, beat the Chiefs in Kansas City at Arrowhead to go to the Super Bowl. That was no small feat coming off one of Patrick Mahomes best games ever a duel against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Remember, they were up by two to three touchdowns in that game. To be the champ you got to beat the champ. To be a big dog, you got to knock off a big dog."
The run starts with a second-straight season advancing in the playoffs, something the Bengals have never done.
Cincinnati and Baltimore run it back in the Wild Card round on Sunday at 8:15 p.m. ET. The game is available on NBC via fuboTV—start your free trial here.
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