2022 NFL Team Preview: Cincinnati Bengals

Of all the runs to the Super Bowl teams have made in the history of the NFL, the Bengals’ run in 2021 was as scarcely predicted as any.

Ultimately, the only thing that separated them from the Lombardi trophy might’ve been a single offensive play. On 4th-and-1, with 48 seconds to play, rookie receiver phenom Ja’Marr Chase beat All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey off the line with an outside release. With enough time, quarterback Joe Burrow would’ve launched that pass and Chase would’ve scored, just as he had on billions of such passes to that point in the season. For all the Bengals’ strengths, Burrow’s ability to finish plays long after lesser quarterbacks would’ve taken sacks – regardless of how often his protection failed him – was the most responsible for getting the team to that point. Chase’s ability to turn any given pass in his direction into a touchdown was a close second.

Unfortunately – as he often does – Aaron Donald ended that play in the Rams’ favor. ‘Enough time’ was a small enough value that seconds would’ve been too big to measure it, but the protection still managed to cave before it had passed. Despite Burrow’s best efforts to cover for them, their historically inept performance on the biggest stage led the Bengals’ offensive line to enter the offseason under intense scrutiny from everybody on the Internet with an opinion. They single-handedly lost the team the game; the Bengals, and society as a whole, needed to upgrade from them.

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It’s not supposed to be that easy, but it was. The Bengals entered free agency and immediately added three starting-caliber offensive linemen in Ted Karras, Alex Cappa, and La’el Collins. In return, they lost tight end C.J. Uzomah – whom they replaced with Hayden Hurst. Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi joined the Steelers, but he was arguably outperformed by B.J. Hill – whom the team retained – regardless.

That was it.

Championship teams usually endure some level of poaching, both of their on-field and coaching talent, yet the Bengals remained otherwise unsullied. Zac Taylor enters his fourth season as the head coach of the Bengals with the same coordinators – Brian Callahan, Lou Anarumo, and Darin Simmons – he’s had each season prior. With safety Jessie Bates back and officially playing on the franchise tag, the Bengals starting defense will remain virtually unchanged. Offensively, Burrow will still hand off to Joe Mixon and throw to Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd.

As familiar as Bengals fans are with organizational stability, this is hardly something championship teams usually enjoy. Few teams are better set up to succeed in the 2022 season based on what we know from 2021. The floor for this Bengals squad is high; the ceiling is running it back and winning the whole thing.

Bengals Schedule

Overview

Find a game on this schedule, and you’ll have found a game the Bengals should have a good chance to win. They’re (probably) not running the table, but their starting lineup should inspire that level of confidence regardless of their opponent. Even if that opponent is the Chiefs, the Buccaneers in Tampa, the Patriots in New England, or the Bills. Winter figures to be a spicy time for the Bengals’ cable ratings, at least.

Overall, the Bengals’ schedule looks pretty favorable to them. They’ll have the benefit of a midseason bye week near the actual midpoint of their season, and they won’t be on the road for more than two weeks in a row. The furthest west they’ll have to travel is Arlington, and they won’t play any games in London or elsewhere abroad.

The first half of their schedule looks especially favorable, with games at home against two NFC South franchises in Atlanta and Carolina that the Bengals should be heavily favored against on any field. The Steelers will be playing their first game of the season against the Bengals with a new starting quarterback in either Mitch Trubisky or Kenny Pickett – expecting them to win that game is a tall order no matter what head coach Mike Tomlin has proven himself capable of.

The Dolphins game might pose the biggest challenge with first-time head coach and renowned offensive innovator Mike McDaniel at the helm of the team – not to mention additions like receiver Tyreek Hill – but it’s not a game any Miami fans are penciling in as a win. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has yet to prove he can win a shootout against an offense of the Bengals’ caliber.

Midseason Forecast

Of the Bengals’ early road games, their trips to Baltimore and New Orleans loom as the most challenging. Neither team made the playoffs in 2021, but the Ravens clawed to an 8-9 record amidst a plague of injuries that few teams ever deal with. The Bengals might’ve won handily in Baltimore last year, but it’s unlikely to prove so easy again. The Saints barely missed out with a 9-8 record despite having to start four different quarterbacks, largely on the strength of their defense. They allowed only 19.7 points per game in 2021 – and a meager 42 points total over their last five games.

Elsewhere, Dallas is currently reeling from the loss of cornerstone left tackle Tyron Smith to a hamstring injury. He’ll be on the sideline until long after the Bengals’ game there in September. Cleveland will be missing their starting quarterback until November due to suspension – Jacoby Brissett is currently slated to fill in. Jets quarterback Zach Wilson is currently recovering from meniscus surgery and might not be available against the Bengals either.

Altogether, it’s a set of breaks that the Bengals – who look like a championship contender anyway – stand to benefit from. A 7-2 record at the bye week is a completely realistic expectation.

December

The Bengals’ schedule is set to get much harder after the bye, with five games against 2021 playoff teams (and four against division champions) from November 27 through January 2. It’s another blessing for the Bengals that their games against the Chiefs and Bills – who figure to be two of their biggest challengers for the AFC crown – are both in Cincinnati. Road games against the Titans, Buccaneers, and Patriots – all in late-season form – are unlikely to invoke jealousy in anybody. The Bengals can do better, but they’ll set themselves up well for the playoffs if they take care of business before the bye week and go even .500 through this stretch.

The second half of the season is bookended by games against division rivals – the first of which will be in Pittsburgh. Having the extra week to prepare for what still ought to be a weaker team should benefit the Bengals, but sweeping a division opponent isn’t always that simple. Prior to last season, the Bengals hadn’t won both games against the Steelers since 2009. Similarly, they hadn’t swept the Ravens – whom they host in Week 18 – prior to last season since 2015.

The toughest game of the stretch, even if it’s at home, might be the January clash against the Bills. In 2021, Buffalo didn’t just rack up the fifth-highest yardage total and third-highest point total on offense, they also finished with the lowest figures for yards and points allowed on defense. This came despite cornerback Tre’Davious White missing the last six games of the regular season with torn ACL. The 2019 All-Pro hasn’t practiced for the Bills yet this offseason due to that same injury, but it won’t sideline him until January.

If the Bengals win five of these nine games, they’re a playoff team. If they win six, they’re likely looking at a 12-5 or better record with head-to-head wins against the Bills, Chiefs, and/or Titans. It’s possible they’ll have the top overall seed in the AFC, and they’ll have earned it.

What Can Go Wrong?

Barring the obvious (Burrow is mysteriously abducted, etc.), there’s still a handful of ways the Bengals might find themselves short of everyone’s lofty expectations for them.

The remade offensive line looks great on paper, but the team has avoided playing starters this season like the plague. It’s within the realm of possibility that the unit takes time to operate cohesively. That’s especially true at left guard, where fourth-round rookie Cordell Volson might end up starting over Jackson Carman. Volson has looked impressive in the preseason, but it’s been with an entirely different group of players around him – not to mention a lot of lesser competition in front of him. The group should be a strength, but it might take a few games for them to iron themselves out.

While Burrow and the offensive weapons proved plenty capable of overcoming a weak line last season, that was an outlier performance. Something Burrow and those players were only able to do – even once – because of their own exceptional ability. What happens if any of them – Mixon, Chase, Higgins, or Boyd – are unavailable for an extended period?

The Bengals’ top three receivers are the envy of teams around the league, but their immediate backups – Stanley Morgan Jr., Trent Taylor, and Mike Thomas – are primarily special teams contributors. Every team’s backup receivers play special teams, certainly, and those three are all reliable veterans in their respective roles with a combined 13 years of NFL experience. But Taylor – the one most likely to pass for a starting receiver – has accounted for 772 yards and 3 touchdowns on 81 catches in his four-year career. Morgan Jr. and Thomas have combined for 33 catches, 357 yards, and one touchdown over the other nine years.

The depth at receiver wasn’t tested last season, but it’s not a strength. A blow to any of the three starting receivers is the second-quickest way this team drops multiple games in the standings.

– Andy Hammel is the Managing Editor for the Bengals at Full Press Coverage. Follow @Andy_Hammel