The complete 180 degree turnaround the Cincinnati Bengals have completed over the past four games was no small feat. It required every facet of the team playing better than how they performed during their 1-3 start to the year.

There are some players, however, who've been balling out throughout the ups and downs of the season, and their value has finally been illuminated as the pendulum has swung back in the Bengals' favor with four straight victories. 



If you were to hand out Most Valuable Player awards for the first half of the Bengals' season, these would be the recipients: 

2023 Bengals Midseason MVPs

Offensive MVP: WR Ja’Marr Chase

Chase's quiet 41 yards against the Buffalo Bills are an exact testament to his value to the Bengals' offense. When defenses go all out to stop him, it opens up everything else for the four other skill players on the field. And when he does get the ball, his value is far more easier to quantify.



64 receptions for 697 yards and four touchdowns through eight games puts him on an incredible pace that will surely result in Pro Bowl votes and All-Pro consideration despite how crowded the receiver position is league-wide. Chase has shown up more consistently than any Bengals player on offense, and frankly just does different things with the ball in his hands. He's arguably the most responsible for all five wins than anyone else.



Honorable mention: QB Joe Burrow



Of course we're gonna put the quarterback in here somewhere. Burrow's performance while playing on a bad calf can't be forgotten as the main detriment towards their 1-3 start, but that's still a reflection of value. The flip side has been evident during the last four games. He's one of the five most valuable players in the NFL when healthy, plain and simple.

Defensive MVP: ED Trey Hendrickson

Edge defenders are essentially the wide receivers of a defense with how stacked the position group has become, and how much more talented the current crop of elites are compared to prior generations. Hendrickson has come a long way from an uprising situational pass rusher for the New Orleans Saints, and the last eight games further cements his place among the upper echelon at the position.



Pro Football Focus has Hendrickson with nine sacks and 43 total pressures this year with a pass rush win rate of 22.6%. He's in the top eight out of all qualifying edges in each category this year, and he's doing it with minimal week-to-week variance. He shows up every week, regardless of the competition, and puts on a clinic. No one for Cincinnati's defense can say the same at his level of play.



Honorable mention: LB Germaine Pratt



The Bengals' defense is ultimately characterized by game-changing moments that have become almost expected, despite the high-leverage nature in which they occur. Pratt is responsible for causing four turnovers this season with two interceptions and forced fumbles each, the latest coming from last night. He's got an argument for being the most clutch player in franchise history, to be perfectly honest.  

Special Teams MVP: Trenton Irwin

This is a tricky one with special teams covering numerous different aspects, but Irwin deserves a shoutout for stepping up in a role he wasn't expected to take on this year. He's been filling in for fourth-round pick Charlie Jones at punt returner and has looked just as capable as the rookie. Irwin is averaging 10 yards per return on nine attempts with three fair catches and no muffs. 



Honorable mention: Tycen Anderson



Before suffering a torn ACL in Week 8, Anderson was by far the Bengals' best special teams player. He still leads the team in tackles (6) and will be missed on all four return and coverage phases.

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Other offensive honorable mentions: RT Jonah Williams, LT Orlando Brown, RB Joe Mixon



Cincinnati's tackle play has been more stable than anything the franchise has seen in nearly 10 years. Williams has fully adapted to playing right tackle, and Brown has been exactly who's been for the majority of his career at Williams' former post. 



Mixon and the run game are still another level from returning to last year's efficiency, but his consistent presence is very much noted.

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Other defensive honorable mentions: CB Cam Taylor-Britt, DT B.J. Hill, LB Logan Wilson



The progression Taylor-Britt has taken from his rookie year to now is outstanding. He's taken on tall tasks of covering opposing No. 1 receivers with Chidobe Awuzie still on a pitch count, and already has three interceptions on the year. The Bengals have an emerging ballhawk at cornerback for the first time in a while.



Wilson very much fits that description at linebacker with three interceptions of his own. Hill has provided the pass-rushing spark inside the tackles that was missing last year. 

Bengals: Three bold predictions for the remainder of the season

Nine games remain for the surging Bengals, and their best players are starting to heat up.