How did each NFL team grade out now that the Super Bowl is over?

Cincinnati Bengals-D

The Marvin Lewis era in Cincinnati has finally reached its merciful conclusion. Bengals fans have to be excited at the prospect of a new voice leading their beloved team.

The defense was really the group that let fans down in 2018. They were awful in almost every statistical category. They finished dead last in the NFL in terms of total yards and passing yards allowed per game. Predictably, they also gave up a ton of points. In some ways they were fortunate to only rank 30th in that statistical category.

The offense wasn’t all that much better, but injuries to Andy Dalton and Joe Mixon definitely contributed to that unit’s struggles. Mixon is certainly a player the new staff will build around, but Dalton’s future with the franchise is very much up in the air. Jeff Driskel showed he isn’t an NFL starter, so if the Bengals do go away from Dalton they’ll need to acquire his replacement.

Next year the Bengals might struggle to replicate their 6-10 record, but they could get a higher grade just by emphatically turning the page on the Lewis era. It’s time for Cincinnati to strive for something other than an occasional Wild Card berth.