ESPN predicts how Cincinnati Bengals season will play out in 2022

The Cincinnati Bengals surprised nearly everyone in the country last season by making a Super Bowl run and nearly ending the season with a parade. Cincinnati had gone 4-11-1 the year before. Quarterback Joe Burrow was coming back from a torn ACL. And the offensive line was still a major question mark. To say that […]

Zach Ragan — Tennessee Volunteers News Writer
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The Cincinnati Bengals surprised nearly everyone in the country last season by making a Super Bowl run and nearly ending the season with a parade.

Cincinnati had gone 4-11-1 the year before. Quarterback Joe Burrow was coming back from a torn ACL. And the offensive line was still a major question mark.

To say that the Bengals' Super Bowl run last year was improbable would be an understatement.

So what should we expect in 2022 from a Cincinnati team that has significantly improved its roster this offseason?

The Bengals' offensive line added three new faces this offseason (Alex Cappa, Ted Karras, and La'el Collins). On paper, this team is one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl.

ESPN, however, doesn't see it the same way. They recently made their predictions for 2022 and they have Cincinnati winning the AFC North, but failing to advance deep in the playoffs.

From ESPN:

Thanks to another quality offseason, the Bengals will repeat as AFC North champions but will be unable to recapture the playoff magic they had in 2021.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) hands off to running back Joe Mixon (28) in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 56 between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022. The Rams came back in the final minutes of the game to win 23-20 on their home field. Super Bowl 56 Cincinnati Bengals Vs La Rams
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) hands off to running back Joe Mixon (28) in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 56 between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022. The Rams came back in the final minutes of the game to win 23-20 on their home field.

I don't understand the logic here. The Bengals are clearly on an upward trajectory with Burrow under center. And with an improved offensive line, I think it can be argued that Cincinnati is the best team in AFC in 2022. I wouldn't definitively say they're the best team, but they're right there in the conversation with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills.

These predictions, of course, mean nothing. They have no bearing on what will actually transpire this season. But it's still jarring to see that ESPN doesn't believe in Burrow or the Bengals after last season's amazing Super Bowl run.

Though I'm sure Cincinnati doesn't mind. They don't necessarily need motivation, but it can't hurt, either. I have no doubt that Burrow and company will thoroughly enjoy proving ESPN wrong in 2022.

Featured image via Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

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