With the 2024 NFL season ready to get underway, the Bengals find themselves ready to return to contending form. Cincinnati opens up its campaign at Paycor Stadium against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Sept. 8, at 1 p.m..
Highest Ranking: 4
Lowest Ranking: 9
Average: 6.16
Joe Burrow is back, which means the Bengals are back. He has to stay on the field, but if he does they are a Super contender.
Well, the cat of prey is out of the bag now: I picked the Bengals to win the Super Bowl, one of two on staff to do so. (Thanks for keeping me company, Gennaro!) First, some explaining: Why do I have them sixth? Well, clearly, the Bengals are needing to rebound from 9-8 and Joe Burrow's season-ending injury. My hope is for a formula that somewhat mimics what the Lions have executed: great on offense, opportunistic on defense. Many of the ingredients were there in 2023. If Cincy can keep Burrow upright and see any measurable improvement on D, these Bengals can get there. Am I buttering both sides of the bread by ranking them sixth and having them win it all? That's for you, dear reader, to decide.
The Athletic's win projections have the Bengals at 10.2 victories this season, the second-highest total in the AFC. So why is Cincinnati ninth on this list? They've just kind of fallen off the radar. That could change quickly, though. The Bengals play New England, Washington and Carolina this month, and they have the fifth-easiest schedule in the league this season.
The Bengals are mostly healthy. Joe Burrow is back and looking as good as ever. The schedule looks like a relative cakewalk by NFL standards. The Bengals have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations.
Burrow is back, and he told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated his right arm feels better than ever.
"I had a lot of time coming back to think about checks against certain defenses that I like," Burrow said. "That's been a big emphasis for me over the last month and a half. I'm seeing things really well right now. The throwing part is getting better and better, each day the more reps that I get. My arm is really strong down the field right now, which I'm really happy with. That was the one thing I was worried about with this injury. I would say it's as strong as it's been in that department."
With a healthy Burrow, many have the Bengals listed as potential Super Bowl contenders.
NFL prediction makers could all be doomed by our desire to see Joe Burrow return to the top of the NFL. I know that life watching this game is better when he's healthy and torching Cover 2. Based on my initial 272-game projection, I have Cincinnati winning the AFC North and squeezing into the No. 1 seed just above the still-superior but somewhat slogging Chiefs. Like Green Bay, it's a big swing, and we're planning on a lot of factors hitting at once. Burrow's return is one. The realignment of the defensive line is another. I think we've forgotten how good they can be at full power.
See which players made the Bengals 53-man roster for the 2024 season.
WR Ja'Marr Chase
K Evan McPherson
WR Tee Higgins
QB Jake Browning
P Ryan Rehkow
QB Joe Burrow
WR Charlie Jones
WR Trenton Irwin
CB DJ Turner II
CB Mike Hilton
S Geno Stone
S Dax Hill
S Vonn Bell
S Tycen Anderson
S Jordan Battle
CB Josh Newton
CB Cam Taylor-Britt
HB Chase Brown
RB Zack Moss
RB Trayveon Williams
CB Daijahn Anthony
LB Maema Njongmeta
LS Cal Adomitis
LB Joe Bachie
DE Cedric Johnson
LB Logan Wilson
LB Germaine Pratt
DE Joseph Ossai
LB Akeem Davis-Gaither
G Jackson Kirkland
G Cody Ford
C Matt Lee
C Ted Karras
G Alex Cappa
G Cordell Volson
DT McKinnley Jackson
OT Amarius Mims
OT Orlando Brown Jr.
OT Trent Brown
WR Andrei Iosivas
WR Jermaine Burton
TE Erick All
TE Tanner McLachlan
TE Tanner Hudson
TE Mike Gesicki
TE Drew Sample
DT Kris Jenkins Jr.
DE Trey Hendrickson
DT B.J. Hill
DE Sam Hubbard
DE Zach Carter
DT Jay Tufele
DT Sheldon Rankins
