I'll ask you a question and you think of one and only one answer: What did we learn about the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022?

Stop right there—just one answer.

I'd be willing to bet you landed somewhere near what The Athletic's Mike Jones did when trying to answer the same question for every NFL team. It's all about Joe Burrow. This is what the NFL writer had to say about the Bengals' most significant lesson:

"Joe Burrow is that dude. He may have even leap-frogged Allen for the No. 2 spot on the elite QB list led by Mahomes. He’s eligible for a contract extension now, and the Bengals must check that off their to-do list. Then they must be as creative as possible at extending other key players and adding additional pieces (help at tight end and defensive back would be nice) to extend this window of contention."

Since the premise of the entire exercise is to list one and ONLY ONE lesson per team, I can't criticize Jones for centering on Burrow. He is right, after all. Joey Brr proved the 2021-2022 Super Bowl trip wasn't a "lucky run" (as many chose to describe it). It was in large part thanks to his elite quarterbacking.

And he proved it by doubling down with a very strong year.

But I do think that lost in all of the Burrow hype, is another lesson that I was more surprised about in 2022: Zac Taylor is legit, too.

If you had told me before last season that Burrow would solidify himself as the No. 2 QB in the league I wouldn't have been surprised. But I still had doubts about Taylor even after the team got to the Super Bowl for the first time in his regime.

And he proved time and time again how good of a leader he is for this team. The Bengals consistently adapted.

Early in the season, pass protection was an issue even after revamping the offensive line with talent. That led to an uninspiring 0-2 start to the regular season. Taylor's Bengals found the answers.

The team seemed incapable of attacking two-high defenses. Cover 2 was a nightmare even with Joe Burrow at the wheel. Taylor's Bengals found the answers.

Midseason, the team lost several starters on both sides of the ball. Three starting offensive linemen were hurt in the home stretch weeks later. Taylor's Bengals found the answers.

Heck, Cincinnati destroyed the Buffalo Bills on the road in the Divisional Round and went tit-for-tat with the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium. Taylor consistently had his team ready to go in the biggest of stages.

Joe Burrow deserves all of the love and the hype but let's not lose sight of the fact that Taylor also proved himself in major ways this season. Mainly by adapting to every issue that appeared to come up.

There should be no doubters anymore.

Featured image via Sam Greene / USA TODAY NETWORK