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The NFL playoffs are off and shuffling thanks to C.J. Uzomah and a blast from the Cincinnati Bengals' past.
The Bengals' quest to end a 31-year playoff victory drought got off to a roaring start on Saturday late afternoon, as they responded to a Las Vegas Raiders field goal-scoring drive by doubling it in memorable fashion.
On his first career NFL playoff drive, Joe Burrow took the Bengals 75 yards in 10 plays, capping things off with a seven-yard scoring pass to tight end C.J. Uzomah. Evan McPherson's extra point gave Cincinnati a 7-3 lead in their first playoff game since 2015.
Uzomah finishes off play with an Ickey Shuffle
Perhaps looking to exorcise Cincinnati's postseason demons in the most appropriate fashion, Uzomah celebrated his groundbreaking score by performing the famous "Ickey Shuffle" in the end zone. As its name implies, the dance was popularized by former Bengals running back Elbert "Ickey" Woods.
The jubilation, described by Wikipedia as "(shuffling) his feet to the right and hold the football out to the right, (shuffling) his feet to the left and (holding) the football out to the left, and finally finish(ing) by doing three hops to the right and spiking the football into the ground", is often credited for the league creating unsportsmanlike penalties for excessive celebrations. It has maintained a sizable role in modern pop culture, with Woods performing the dance in a GEICO insurance commercials and it was also reference in a 2005 episode of the hit CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother".
Referencing Woods is an appropriate way for the Bengals to get over the postseason hump: though injuries shortened his Cincinnati career, Woods was part of the 1988-89 team that advanced to Super Bowl XXIII. Woods' Cincinnati marks, particularly in the rookie chapters of the Bengals' record book have stood the test of time. Cincinnati hasn't won a playoff game since the 1990 AFC Wild Card over Houston.
Thanks to a McPherson earned on the next drive (brought about recovering a Derek Carr fumble), the Bengals own a 10-3 lead over the Raiders at the end of the first quarter.
Also check out: San Francisco 49ers Playoff History, Appearances, Wins and more
