Top 10 favorites for Super Bowl 57: Chiefs, Bills lead the way

9. Super Bowl 57 favorites – Cincinnati Bengals

The idea that the Bengals would be a Super Bowl favorite was laughable as recently as September when Cincinnati entered the year fresh off a four-win campaign. A tremendous offseason, combined with a huge leap forward from Burrow, helped lay the groundwork for the Bengals to win the AFC for the first time since 1989.

The continued evolution of Burrow into a star will give Cincinnati a puncher’s chance to win the Lombardi Trophy in Arizona next year and beyond. Burrow may not be as physically talented as some of the NFL’s top passers but he does possess the “it” factor that winners like Tom Brady rode to success.

The Bengals’ coaching staff has also proven to be worth their weight in gold, particularly defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who has built a unit that is greater than the sum of its parts and held the high-powered Chiefs’ offense to just three points after halftime in the AFC Championship Game. Anarumo will likely be a hot head-coaching candidate next year, which works in favor of Cincinnati since he will spend another year working his magic on their defense.

The offensive line does need some more work and finding a way to retain star safety Jessie Bates is a must if the Bengals want to get back to the Super Bowl. Either way, Burrow’s presence makes it hard to rule out more January magic from Cincinnati.