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TJ Houshmandzadeh this week's Ruler of the Jungle; Bootsy Collins to perform at halftime

TJ Houshmandzadeh and Bootsy Collins
Posted at 1:00 PM, Jan 10, 2023
and last updated 2023-01-10 13:28:54-05

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals wild card playoff game just got a bit more wild: The team announced today that Bootsy Collins will perform a rescheduled concert at halftime, while the Ruler of the Jungle will be former Bengals WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Collins was originally scheduled to perform at halftime of Monday Night Football when the Bengals-Bills game was canceled after Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest in the first quarter.

It's expected Collins will perform "Fear Da Tiger" as part of the performance on Sunday Night Football when the Bengals face the Baltimore Ravens at 8:15 p.m. The Bengals beat the Ravens just this past week to solidify the team's No. 3 seed in the playoffs and the chance to host a home playoff game.

Houshmandzadeh is the Bengals record holder for most receptions in a single season. He played alongside Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson and Chris Henry when the Bengals had the most prolific passing offense in the NFL with Carson Palmer at the helm in the mid-to-late 2000s.

Houshmandzadeh played in Cincinnati from 2001-2008. His marquee year came in 2007 when he caught 112 passes for 1,143 yards and 12 touchdowns. It was his second straight 1,000-yard receiving season, and also the second straight year that the Bengals had two 1,000-yard receivers with him and Johnson, a rare feat in the NFL.

Despite the impressive stats, the Bengals didn't make the playoffs for three straight years to close out Houshmandzadeh's time with the team. It was only in 2005 that Houshmandzadeh made it to the postseason with the Bengals' 11-5 record, losing to the Steelers in the wild card round when Carson Palmer was injured on the team's opening playoff drive.

The Bengals broke the playoff victory drought last year when they reached the Super Bowl on the back of WR Ja'Marr Chase's impressive season with 1,455 yards on 81 receptions. Here's hoping T.J. can inject some of his good mojo into Chase for the team's playoff run.