Jeff Blake spent his first two NFL seasons as a third-stringer for the New York Jets, getting little chance to display the deep-ball flair that earned him a sixth-place Heisman finish. That all changed in 1994 when the Cincinnati Bengals claimed him off waivers, setting the stage for one of the most exciting individual turnarounds in franchise history.

Inserted into the starting lineup midway through the 1994 season, Blake provided an instant spark to a dormant offense. Known for his majestic, sky-high deep ball—dubbed the "Shake and Bake" connection with wideouts Carl Pickens and Darnay Scott—Blake started 10 games and led the entire NFL with 13.8 yards per completion. His explosive downfield attack injected life back into the franchise, winning over the fan base with his improvisational style.

In 1995, Blake hit his peak, leading a standout campaign that earned him a Pro Bowl. He achieved career highs with 3,822 passing yards and 28 touchdowns, helping the Bengals stay in wild-card contention. Although Cincinnati didn't break its playoff drought, Blake's strong arm and efficiency kept the team competitive into the mid-1990s.

Although he was the main starter through the 1997 season, Blake was unable to recreate the success of his 1995 season as turnovers and injuries on offense hindered the team's progress. He ultimately lost the starting position to Akili Smith in 1999 and left in free agency to join the New Orleans Saints in 2000.

Across six seasons with Cincinnati (1994–1999), Blake played in 84 regular-season games (66 starts). He threw for 15,134 passing yards and 93 touchdowns while adding another 1,281 yards and five scores on the ground.