The Cincinnati Bengals have fared well for most of the offseason in season-long projections.
It’s not hard to see why either, considering the green light provided by Joe Burrow and the generally positive reception to the team’s offseason.
That said, not all last-second projections before Week 1 have kept those same vibes.
Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr, for example, recently changed his mind on fitting the Bengals into the Super Bowl picture:
I initially had the Lions and Bengals facing off, but backtracked just slightly. The Joe Burrow comeback narrative is just a little too tidy for me. The Bengals sustained some heavy losses in free agency, most notably new Lions treasure D.J. Reader, and Cincinnati is also breaking in a new offensive coordinator. Burrow is great, but is still knocking off a ton of rust and plays in the toughest division in football. I remember covering the NFL through the New England Patriots’ dynasty and believing that every year the AFC would produce some plucky and fun contender before New England simply sat on the competition and leaned its way into another title game. So, bleh. Boring to pick the Kansas City Chiefs. I get it.
That point about attempting to wish away a modern dynasty like the Patriots will resonate with plenty of fans.
More to the point on the Bengals, there are valid concerns about how the formation will change as Lou Anarumo looks to use multiple guys to replace the presence of DJ Reader.
And on the offensive side, beyond health questions (not even Burrow — look at the right tackle spot), it’s worth wondering how Dan Pitcher does on his own as a coordinator and if Zac Taylor will partake.
At the end of the day, the fact this analysis only knocks the Bengals out of a Super Bowl berth still speaks to how highly most seem to think of the team before Week 1.
