clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

C.J. Uzomah appropriately completes his comeback on Thursday Night Football

In 2020, Uzomah’s season ended on Thursday Night Football. This time, he had the best game of his seven-year career to carry Cincinnati to a comeback win over the Jaguars.

Cincinnati Bengals v Cleveland Browns Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

What a comeback for C.J. Uzomah.

It was close to this time last year when Uzomah and the Cincinnati Bengals lost to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football.

For Uzomah, the loss was much bigger, as he suffered a season-ending Achilles tear. Not only was it his first real major injury in his pro career, that specific injury is one of the hardest to come back from.

I admittedly wondered on this very website if Uzomah was a cap casualty candidate that this team should consider parting with in hopes of having extra space to extend guys like Jessie Bates.

Boy am I happy to be a dumbass on that one.

Not only did Uzomah work his way back to be ready for Day 1 of training camp, he’s actually looked better in his seventh NFL season than previously in his pro career, at least tonight,

Granted, it’s only four games, but this was easily the best game of his career, and it frankly wasn’t even close.

Coming into Week 4 Uzomah never caught more than one score in a game, nor did he have over 66 yards in a single contest. He also had just seven games of 5+ catches and never more than six.

Tonight, Uzomah had career-highs in receiving yards (95) and touchdowns (two) on five grabs, and the Bengals needed every bit of it in a 24-21 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. That included what in essence the game-winning catch that put the Bengals in easy field-goal range for Even McPherson to finish off.

Heck, coming into the night, Uzomah had just four catches for 39 yards and no scores in his first three games. Perhaps he was just working off a little rust, as he looked like an absolute stud tonight as he played a major role in Cincinnati getting to win No. 3.

In case you forgot, the Bengals didn’t win three games in 2019, and it took them until Week 15 last year before they got their third victory.

And of course with Uzomah being the great team player he is, the veteran awarded the game ball to Bengals director of rehabilitation Nick Cosgray.

Who Dey!