The Cincinnati Bengals generally find themselves in contention conversations in projections for next season.
But in the conversation and outright getting picked to go all the way are two very different things.
NFL.com’s Judy Battista, though, recently outlined some bold predictions for next season and No. 5 is the Bengals getting back to the AFC title game:
Cincinnati is one of the reasons I don’t see the Jets getting to the Super Bowl. The Bengals have shown that when Joe Burrow is healthy, they are a Super Bowl-caliber team. Burrow has spent the offseason getting bigger and stronger and focusing on nutrition in an effort to improve his durability, and he will undoubtedly be highly motivated to silence questions about whether he is injury-prone. If he stays on the field — and assuming the Bengals do not trade Tee Higgins — this is the only team that has consistently challenged the Chiefs’ supremacy. They’ll get another chance to knock off the champs this season.
The point about Joe Burrow changing up things like nutrition and even bulking up doesn’t get brought up often, so it’s nice to see. If the changes work and he’s on the field for 17 games, it’s hard to imagine the Bengals don’t flirt with a double-digit win mark.
Then again, for Bengals fans that like this bold take, just keep in mind that No. 6 is the Chiefs pulling off a three-peat…
Either way, the Bengals getting a nod nationally despite last year’s struggles will keep fans happy this time of year.
