“It’s been confusing and frustrating. It’s tough,” says Patrick Clausen of the chameleon killer known as COVID. “It’s such a weird virus … It’s completely opposite of what should be going on.” But Clausen turned up on the right side of things Wednesday. He’s one of 11 employees from TriHealth, the Bengals’ official health care partner, who received recognition for his work in the pandemic and won an at-home viewing package from Bose and a virtual meet-and-greet with Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard is much relieved this week and certainly not because of Monday night's task of slowing down Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s split-second releases. Relief has come from the tip of a needle since Amy Hubbard received the first of her two COVID-19 vaccines. His mother is living the headlines on the front lines as University Hospital's nursing supervisor and they've spent the season separated but in touch.

Despite 2020's challenges, the Bengals and The Salvation Army continue to team up this holiday season.