The Cincinnati Bengals feel like one of those most dangerous teams in the playoffs this year and might just be better than the team that made the Super Bowl one year ago.
But that doesn’t mean things are perfect.
In a playoff format where the margin for error is small and mistakes amplified, the Bengals could easily be one-and-done or fall well short of a repeat Super Bowl appearance if they don’t address some of the notable issues.
With things like the offensive line and consistency headlining the problem areas, these are the things the Bengals must improve before they make another playoff push.
Consistency through four quarters
The Bengals have not been consistent over the course of any game recently and the no-contest didn’t help. In Week 15 they fell down 17-0 before coming back to beat the Bucs. They nearly blew a 22-point lead against the Pats in Week 16, then a 17-0 lead against the Ravens in the season finale. In the playoffs where mistakes are amplified and the competition stiffer, the Bengals have to put together complete games to avoid elimination.
The running game
The Cincinnati rushing attack has been fine this year at times. But it ranks bottom five at just 95.5 yards per game and Joe Mixon ran for just 27 yards on a 2.5 per-carry average in Week 18. In the playoffs, the Bengals have to be better here in order to finish games and limit opportunities for the other offense, even if it’s a second or third-string quarterback. This is especially the case now to limit hits on Joe Burrow with the offensive line down two starters.
The plan for the offensive line
Speaking of that offensive line, it’s now down two of the four starters who upgraded the unit this past offseason. Right tackle La’el Collins is out for the year and while details are scarce, right guard Alex Cappa could be too. That means Hakeem Adeniji in Collins’ spot and Max Scharping in Cappa’s slot. Does that change the type of runs called? Does it mean an offensive-wide schematic shift to help that side? On paper, the run blocking is going to be worse, but the pass protection might be better. Whatever the plan is, it has one game to get it right.
Kicking
Speaking of possible mistakes that are grossly amplified in the playoffs — Evan McPherson. Last year’s rookie hero has missed five kicks this year and missed four extra points. He’s had a change at long-snapper and holder (due to the punter change), but it’s concerning that he doesn’t miss from 50-plus, but only shorter kicks. Coaches have said on longer ranges his power compensates for other issues he’s still improving. But one has to wonder — can he go perfect in the playoffs again? Do coaches consider under-50-range areas where they will opt to keep the offense on the field on fourth downs?
Turnovers
The Bengals don’t turn the ball over a ton but there are some concerns. Joe Burrow has paced the NFL in tipped passes and picks off those tips for most of the year. That can’t happen in the playoffs. They turned the ball over once in Week 18 and three times against the Patriots in Week 16, including a Ja’Marr Chase fumble. This might seem like nitpicking, but again, the margin for error in the playoffs is tiny.
The noise
The Bengals have to shut out the noise and just play their game now. They’ve done a good job all year of leaning into the disrespected angle to keep some of that underdog edge. But they’ve been in the media a ton this week criticizing the Ravens for cheap actions in Week 18. Chase has continued to talk about it in the days leading up to the game.
This isn’t saying the Bengals are in the wrong about the Ravens and they certainly weren’t wrong about how the NFL handled the no-contest and playoff seeding rule changes on a whim. But tuning out the noise and just executing the plan and not being distracted is the key now.
