What will the Cincinnati Bengals need to do in the offseason to have a shot at a Super Bowl?
The Bengals are their own worst enemy, choking under pressure and finding creative ways to lose offseason games. This year, they ended up fumbling and then committing an unfortunate series of personal fouls that gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a chance to win the game.
Already, the Bengals know they are facing a challenge in the 2016 season. Vontaze Burfict was suspended for three games because of his brutal hit on a defenseless Antonio Brown en route to the team’s Wild Card loss. The team has also lost offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, widely credited with the team’s successful run in the regular season. Jackson had been with the Bengals since 2012 when he started as a special teams assistant coach before working his way up to running backs coach and offensive coordinator.
Jackson is now the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, an AFC North rival. The Browns left tackle Joe Thomas recently called the acquisition a “huge coup” via Cleveland.com. The Bengals will also lose players this offseason. Let’s take a look at players the Bengals could lose to free agency and free agents from other teams they should consider in their stead.
Next: Free agency: Potential losses