Here’s the good news: Athlon Sports picked the Bengals to win the AFC North this season.
The not-so-good news: They have the Bengals losing at home in the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs to the New England Patriots.
Athlon Sports has the Bengals getting back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022 by winning one of the NFL’s toughest divisions. Keep in mind, though, that the Bengals are the only team in the AFC North to keep their head coach going into this season. The other three teams all
changed head coaches this past January.
Continuity is the route the Bengals are taking, even though the roster is vastly different coming into this season.
Remember when the Bengals lost seven straight Wild Card playoff games with Marvin Lewis as their head coach? We all think that trend is behind this organization. I think it is, because I don’t ever see Joe Burrow losing a home playoff game in the Wild Card round.
It was surprising to see New England being picked to beat the Bengals in the first weekend of the Playoffs. Yes, they won the AFC last season and have an MVP-caliber quarterback in Drake Maye. But if this Bengals team wins the AFC North and gets a home playoff game, do we really think they would lose to the Patriots? By the way, the last time Zac Taylor and Mike Vrabel saw their teams face off in the Playoffs, the 2021 AFC Divisional in Nashville, the Bengals came out on top on an Evan McPherson 52-yard game-winning field goal.
Getting back to the Playoffs with an AFC North title would be great for the Bengals this season. But losing in the Wild Card round, at home, in a season where there are Super Bowl expectations? That would make it very interesting for the conversation of Zac Taylor getting a ninth season in 2027.
Hopefully, this trend is behind the Bengals. I believe it is.
