It's hard to believe we're doing our final Postgame Thoughts here on In The Trenches with Dave Lapham, presented by First Star Logistics.

However, the Cincinnati Bengals went down fighting after a slow start against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday night, 23-20.

Like many games during an entire season, plays were made, plays were missed, and there are always questions on calls from officials that seem to go against your team. That is no different from what happened to Zac Taylor and his exciting squad of talented players, who aimed to capture a second consecutive AFC Championship crown and a return trip to the Super Bowl.

While the Bengals made enough plays to take the game down to the final seconds, this season had no magical ending. The future is bright with a roster full of young and talented players, but as with any new season, there will undoubtedly be some changes along the way with the NFL Draft coming this spring and other roster moves.

While we'll leave the latter part for another In The Trenches, the future is bright and exciting for those who cheer on Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and company in the stands, at home, or across the world.

We hope you've enjoyed our coverage of the Bengals this season on In The Trenches, and we can't thank First Star Logistics enough for their tremendous support in allowing us to do something we love.