2017 NFL win/loss projections for all 32 teams
By John Buhler
Cincinnati Bengals
Was last year’s 6-9-1 campaign an outlier for the Cincinnati Bengals football team or just the beginning of the end? Sadly, it might indicative of the latter, as the Bengals might be for another bottom-10 season in the NFL. Division rivals Baltimore and Pittsburgh are clearly better. Even dysfunctional Cleveland had a superior offseason to the Bengals.
Cincinnati is clearly banking on offensive line coach Paul Alexander to make chicken salad out of you know what up front. Alexander has been one of the best in the business for a long time, but his approach to coaching offensive line is unorthodox to say the least. Losing tackle Andrew Whitworth to the Los Angeles Rams in free agency stings. Seeing guard Kevin Zeitler sign up to play for the arch rival Browns is painful.
Offensively, the Bengals have the weapons to win games, but quarterback Andy Dalton needs the support of a solid offensive line to get back to Pro Bowl level. Even if Dalton plays like he did his first five years in the league, he’s not particularly efficient in the red zone. The Bengals don’t have the personnel defensively they even had two years ago to settle for more field goals than touchdowns.
Cincinnati could surprise and hover slightly above .500 with the help of rookies John Ross and Joe Mixon. Ross blazes on the outside, but how’s that going to work when the often-injured wideout has to play in the cold Midwestern climate. Mixon could be a steal in the draft, but his off-the-field incident at Oklahoma could be an unwanted locker room distraction.
Frankly, it’s time for the Bengals to make a change at head coach. Even if the Bengals find a way to go 10-6 and make the AFC Playoffs, Marvin Lewis isn’t winning squat in January. The Bengals’ competitive window has closed, but do they even know it yet?
Projected Record: 5-11, Misses AFC Playoffs