Bengals falling well behind AFC’s best in overall talent
Last year was a huge wake-up call for the Cincinnati Bengals, who won just six games and missed the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.
The Bengals were terribly impotent on offense, scoring just over 20 points per game while A.J. Green sat out much of the season with a knee injury. One of the big reasons for this is that they lost two of their top receivers in free agency heading into the season. The Bengals then lost two key starters on the offensive line this past month, as Kevin Zeitler and Andrew Whitworth both bolted in free agency.
Cincinnati also saw diminishing returns from a defense that once thrived under the leadership of Mike Zimmer, who is now the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.
Pretty much everywhere you look on their roster, the Bengals are a step behind the top teams in the AFC. The offensive line needs a new infusion of talent — heck, they brought back Andre Smith, as if that will help much — the defensive line needs more depth and the secondary is aging. And we all saw what happened when Green wasn’t available. The Bengals’ receiving corps is understaffed and without impact players outside of the All-Pro.
The Bengals absolutely must ace the upcoming draft to have a chance at remaining competitive in the AFC North, let alone the AFC as a whole.