Fansided

Bengals try to escape basement in brutal AFC North

By Jarrett Bailey

CINCINNATI, OHIO - AUGUST 29: Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals warms up before the a preseason game against the Miami Dolphins at Paul Brown Stadium on August 29, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO - AUGUST 29: Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals warms up before the a preseason game against the Miami Dolphins at Paul Brown Stadium on August 29, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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The Cincinnati Bengals have added talent on both sides of the ball, but can they keep their young star quarterback healthy?

The first half of the 2020 season may not have brought many wins for the Bengals, but man was it exciting. Joe Burrow put on a show as a rookie before going down with a torn ACL in Week 11.

With Burrow being set to go, a revamped offensive line, and nee playmakers on both offense and defense, what does 2021 have in store for the Bengals?

Best-case scenario

Playing meaningful football in December. Cincinnati’s schedule is actually somewhat favorable throughout the first half of the season. Of their first 10 games, six are against either non-playoff teams from 2020 or rebuilding teams.

With the offensive talent they have, along with their underrated secondary, there’s no reason to the Bengals can’t start at least 5-5 and steal a game from Baltimore, Cleveland, and/or Pittsburgh.

Being at or above .500 going into December would put them in great position to compete for the No. 7 seed in the AFC.

Worst-case scenario

Conversely, the Bengals can’t capitalize on opportunities and they begin the season somewhere in the 3-7, 4-6 range.

Their schedule is absolutely brutal through December, including matchups against the Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, and their second games against Cleveland and Baltimore.

Starting slow will leave them in position to be drafting inside the top 10 once again, and almost certainly put head coach Zac Taylor on the hot seat.

X-factor

The offensive line, because of course it is. Joe Burrow was constantly battered by opposing pass rushers, and it finally became too much. The Bengals drafted Jackson Carman and signed Quinton Spain to address the issues at hand, and will also get Jonah Williams back this season.

The offensive line will have a ton of eyes on it in Cincinnati, especially after the Bengals passes on Penei Sewell in the NFL Draft for wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

If the line plays well, then great — the Bengals could be competitive. If both Chase and the offensive line struggle, though, the Bengals will have egg on their face, and jobs will be lost.

Biggest Game – Week 1 vs. Vikings

There are better opponents on the Bengals schedule, and sure saying Week 1 is the biggest game of the year sounds off, but this will give us a glimpse into who the Bengals are.

If the offensive line keeps Burrow relatively clean, keeping Danielle Hunter out of the backfield, that will set the tone for the weeks going forward. If they struggle right away, it could lead to a snowball effect.

Bold Prediction

The Bengals are still at least a year away from being a playoff team, but they do have pieces that will help them be a tough outing on any given Sunday.

A wide receiver trio of Chase, Tyler Boyd, and Tee Higgins gives Burrow an array of targets, Joe Mixon is quietly one of the best running backs in football, and the secondary added a great nickel cornerback in Mike Hilton to go along with top-notch safety Jessie Bates.

Cincinnati is a young team, but they are led by a winner in Burrow. They’ll lose more than they win, but they won’t be a walking mat in 2021.