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iknowftbll
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The next team in this series of presumed contenders is the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals are an interesting team. They're good enough to be riding a 5-year consecutive playoff run, not good enough to have won a single playoff game in that stretch. In fact, Marvin Lewis is 0-7 now in the playoffs with the Bengals. The last one was especially painful, though to unbiased viewers it made for great theater. The Bengals offense may not be quite as good as the Steelers, but they have a better defense. They had a heck of a season last year even with Dalton losing significant playing time.
The Broncos and Bengals played a late season "battle of the backups" that altered the AFC playoff landscape. Both teams finished 12-4, but with the Broncos owning the tie breaker they would get the #1 playoff seed while the Bengals, also at 12-4 would play as the #3 seed on Wild Card weekend. And we all know how that ended.
While picking a winner in the AFC North is a crap shoot, the Bengals appear to be the most complete team. The Steelers in all likelihood have the better offense, it's not by much. The Steelers addressed their deficiencies on defense through the draft. Translation: it'll be a couple years before that unit comes of age. Then you have the injury factor. Ben Roethlisberger always seems to take a hit or two that sidelines him for a couple weeks. And the Bengals showed they are better poised to react to the loss of their QB. While I am not one to regularly practice the "what if" dialogue, it's hard not to blame Bengals fans who speculate about what might have been had Dalton not been injured. The Bengals went 2-2 in his absence, with losses @ Steelers and @ Broncos.
Key games:
Weeks 2, 15: Steelers. Unless you've been living under a rock, no explanation required.
Week 3: vs Broncos. An early game won't carry the drama nor will it be weighted as heavily as last year's late season tilt with the Broncos, but this game could once again greatly influence the shape of the AFC playoff landscape.
Week 6: @ Patriots. If the Bengals want to be taken seriously as a contender they are going to need to go into the Pats' house and rough them up. With the Patriots still looking like contenders, even without Brady for 4 games, this game has major playoff seeding implications.
Week 16: @ Texans. While this may not jump out as a huge key matchup at a glance, it really is. The Texans and Bengals alike are "up and comers" both of whom have an opportunity to make this season the year in which they take the next major step forward.
While I will never rule out the Steelers for winning this division, I am picking the Bengals as of now. They've steadily improved and held their own (in the regular season) for 5 consecutive years now. I think this year they will be in the thick of it for a first round bye and won't be surprised at all to see them repeat last year's 12-4 playoff record and push for a first round playoff bye. Another thought: I wouldn't want to be the their first playoff opponent. Teams on streaks, in this case a bad playoff streak, scare the shit out of me for some reason.
Your thoughts?
The Broncos and Bengals played a late season "battle of the backups" that altered the AFC playoff landscape. Both teams finished 12-4, but with the Broncos owning the tie breaker they would get the #1 playoff seed while the Bengals, also at 12-4 would play as the #3 seed on Wild Card weekend. And we all know how that ended.
While picking a winner in the AFC North is a crap shoot, the Bengals appear to be the most complete team. The Steelers in all likelihood have the better offense, it's not by much. The Steelers addressed their deficiencies on defense through the draft. Translation: it'll be a couple years before that unit comes of age. Then you have the injury factor. Ben Roethlisberger always seems to take a hit or two that sidelines him for a couple weeks. And the Bengals showed they are better poised to react to the loss of their QB. While I am not one to regularly practice the "what if" dialogue, it's hard not to blame Bengals fans who speculate about what might have been had Dalton not been injured. The Bengals went 2-2 in his absence, with losses @ Steelers and @ Broncos.
Key games:
Weeks 2, 15: Steelers. Unless you've been living under a rock, no explanation required.
Week 3: vs Broncos. An early game won't carry the drama nor will it be weighted as heavily as last year's late season tilt with the Broncos, but this game could once again greatly influence the shape of the AFC playoff landscape.
Week 6: @ Patriots. If the Bengals want to be taken seriously as a contender they are going to need to go into the Pats' house and rough them up. With the Patriots still looking like contenders, even without Brady for 4 games, this game has major playoff seeding implications.
Week 16: @ Texans. While this may not jump out as a huge key matchup at a glance, it really is. The Texans and Bengals alike are "up and comers" both of whom have an opportunity to make this season the year in which they take the next major step forward.
While I will never rule out the Steelers for winning this division, I am picking the Bengals as of now. They've steadily improved and held their own (in the regular season) for 5 consecutive years now. I think this year they will be in the thick of it for a first round bye and won't be surprised at all to see them repeat last year's 12-4 playoff record and push for a first round playoff bye. Another thought: I wouldn't want to be the their first playoff opponent. Teams on streaks, in this case a bad playoff streak, scare the shit out of me for some reason.
Your thoughts?
