The Cincinnati Bengals, at least for now, run the AFC North.
That’s something sure to be a continued debate point throughout the offseason though as analysts and fans start to look ahead to next season.
The crew at GMFB, for example, just debated whether the Bengals should be the AFC North favorites right now.
One analyst in favor of the idea pointed at — who else? — Joe Burrow as a good reason to think Cincinnati is the favorite again: “Start putting the wrapper on the cigar that says AFC North champs…How would you not take Joe Burrow over any quarterback in this division with the game on the line? Third down on the line? Fourth down?”
It wasn’t just all Burrow talk either — it was throwing accolades at the coaching staff for having the least penalties called on them last year.
Still, detractors brought up good points too, such as the fact the team played an easy schedule last year and on paper has a much tougher road this upcoming season.
One of the more interesting things that doesn’t get a lot of run is just how good Cincinnati’s injury luck was last year. That might regress next season, so it’ll be interesting to see if the depth improvements counteract a regression in that area.
Either way, it’s hard not to like a Bengals team that ran through the division and playoffs last year with a quarterback back early from a knee injury. The team’s mostly back the same and with an upgraded offensive line, so painting the Bengals as favorites seems fair enough.
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