It feels like Super Bowl-or-bust mode for the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2023 season.
So good news for the team and its fans — Sports Illustrated projects the Bengals to win it all in 2023 while Joe Burrow reels in MVP honors.
Conor Orr explained in his bold predictions project:
The Bengals and the 49ers have, by my estimation, the two rosters that best embody the hallmark of a Super Bowl team: talent and depth at almost every position. The 49ers have enough options at the quarterback position to make sure they aren’t stuck in the title game with Christian McCaffrey in the Wildcat. Deebo Samuel believed this team was better than the Eagles last year, and, even after Philadelphia’s superb draft, I agree that the 49ers have just as strong of a roster.
As for Burrow? Orr projects he leads the Bengals to 13 wins while throwing 40 touchdowns.
In a nice twist for Bengals fans, these are the sorts of projections that will dominate the offseason given the status of the franchise. And indeed, both Cincinnati and San Francisco look like two of the more complete rosters in the league — never mind the fun historical slant of a rematch.
The Bengals winning it all, Burrow taking a friendly contract (that’s in there too) and the star quarterback winning MVP sounds too good to be true, but it’s a testament to the strong roster and program building by Zac Taylor and Co. over the last few years that even projections like this are a thing.
