The Cincinnati Bengals have navigated their way to the playoffs for four consecutive seasons, and for four consecutive seasons, Marvin Lewis' team has exited the first weekend.
The sense of urgency in the Queen City is becoming palpable.
"It's now or never," running back Jeremy Hill said Monday, via ESPN.com. "It's been four years in a row, and if it doesn't happen this year, then it's probably never going to happen," Hill said. "That's the mentality and the sense of urgency that we bring in every day. Something has to change."
The Bengals are 0-6 under Lewis in the playoffs and have the NFL's longest drought without a playoff victory -- 24 seasons, dating back to 1990.
Hill has only been around for one of the losses, but he feels the urgency within the organization to get over the hump.
"Getting to the playoffs every year, that's cool and all, but we want to get to the next level," Hill added. "The sense of urgency needs to pick up and just the get-up and the want-to to do it. Everyone has that mentality right now and that's going to definitely help us going into the season."
The Bengals have the roster to return to the postseason for a fifth straight season. January is when Hill and his teammates will need that mentality and urgency to finally kick in.
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