The Cincinnati Bengals are gearing up for one of the biggest seasons in franchise history…
This may seem like a big claim, but the team seems hungrier than ever after missing the playoffs last season, largely due to a season-ending injury for Joe Burrow.
Burrow has made it clear he is ready to put the league back on notice after the Bengals appeared in back-to-back AFC Championships.
Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports has recently released his rankings for all NFL teams going into the new season and the Bengals enter the conversation at number 13.
Schwab gave the Bengals offseason a solid ‘B-’ after losing some key pieces but also adding some much-needed talent. He also thinks Zack Miss can be a sneaky-good pickup in the backfield.
“Joe Mixon was traded to the Texans but was replaced by Zack Moss, who was very efficient with the Colts last season. The draft included some high-upside picks, most notably first-round offensive tackle Amarius Mims, who started just eight games over his college career but is physically impressive, and third-round receiver Jermaine Burton, a dynamic player who slipped due to character concerns. Second-round pick Kris Jenkins and third-round pick McKinnley Jackson could both help the defensive line. The Bengals’ offseason wasn’t a huge win, but they felt pretty confident with their roster going into it.”
Schwab also shared odds from BetMGM about the Bengals’ upcoming season. The team is currently projected to have a solid 10.5 wins. The only teams projected to have more wins are the 49ers, Ravens, and Chiefs.
In terms of best and worst-case scenarios this season, it is quite simple.
Best case: Super Bowl upside.
Worst case: The Super Bowl window continues to close as the team fails to capitalize on another talented roster.
One thing is clear: the 2023 season was a tough pill to swallow. Joe Burrow went down, the defense was horrid, Tee Higgins was a question mark in terms of production, and the team missed the playoffs.
If the team can get back on track, the Cincinnati Bengals are one of the toughest teams to beat, and no one will want to see them come postseason time.