The Cincinnati Bengals figure to have one of the best offenses in the NFL in 2023, hence the team ranking high in both power rankings and FPI rankings.
But the feeling isn’t shared by everyone, including a former Super Bowl-winning coach.
Over at The 33rd Team, Mike Martz listed his projected top five offenses of the 2023 season and the Bengals simply don’t make the list.
On it, three NFC squads and two from the AFC:
- San Francisco 49ers
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Detroit Lions
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Buffalo Bills
There are plenty of holes to poke in this one, such as the inclusion of the Detroit Lions so high. And while the San Francisco 49ers can be great, the quarterback spot is something of a question mark.
What’s interesting about leaving the Bengals off the list is that the team just almost made two consecutive Super Bowls and Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and Joe Mixon return, as do the important coaches. Even more notable is that the offensive line has started to morph into a strength when healthy, especially with Orlando Brown Jr. now manning left tackle.
Regardless, these are projections in May and the Burrow-led offense will have plenty of time to crack the real top five soon enough.
who's missing? pic.twitter.com/Gxq8AUTchw
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) May 18, 2023