{"id":1289,"date":"2024-07-24T18:02:39","date_gmt":"2024-07-24T18:02:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=1289"},"modified":"2024-07-24T18:02:39","modified_gmt":"2024-07-24T18:02:39","slug":"why-the-bengals-and-joe-burrow-are-poised-to-bounce-back-in-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=1289","title":{"rendered":"Why the Bengals and Joe Burrow are poised to bounce back in 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mg-t-b-20 ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt88 mg-t-b-20 article-content\" data-v-eb7a7de0=\"\">Is there an\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NFL<\/a>\u00a0team better poised for a bounce-back year than the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/cincinnati-bengals-team\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cincinnati Bengals<\/a>?<\/p>\n<p class=\"mg-t-b-20 ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt88 mg-t-b-20 article-content\" data-v-eb7a7de0=\"\">The health of quarterback\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/joe-burrow-player\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Joe Burrow<\/a>\u00a0will always have a huge bearing on the Bengals&#8217; success. In 2023, he was limited by a calf injury and then sidelined by a season-ending wrist injury 10 weeks into the year. Cincinnati still finished 9-8 and just a game out of the final wild card, but the Bengals were last in a super-tough AFC North.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mg-t-b-20 ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt88 mg-t-b-20 article-content\" data-v-eb7a7de0=\"\">Burrow is back healthy again \u2014 he reported to camp on Tuesday with a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/stories\/nfl\/joe-burrow-draws-eminem-comparisons-new-bleached-hairdo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">new hairdo<\/a>\u00a0and his old swagger \u2014 and understandably, there&#8217;s optimism around the Bengals. Their odds to win the Super Bowl are 14:1 in Las Vegas, tied for fifth-best in the league.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Guess who\u2019s back \ud83c\udfb6 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dwHy2zymH2\">pic.twitter.com\/dwHy2zymH2<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Bengals\/status\/1815775822784946661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 23, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p class=\"mg-t-b-20 ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt88 mg-t-b-20 article-content\" data-v-eb7a7de0=\"\">Go back a year, and that shouldn&#8217;t be that surprising. Consider how close the Bengals were to even more greatness. In 2021, they made the Super Bowl and had the lead for most of the fourth quarter before giving up a late touchdown to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/los-angeles-rams-team\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rams<\/a>. In 2022, they held their own against the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/kansas-city-chiefs-team\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chiefs<\/a>\u00a0in the AFC Championship Game, with two drives in the fourth quarter of a tie game before losing to Kansas City on a last-second field goal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mg-t-b-20 ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt88 mg-t-b-20 article-content\" data-v-eb7a7de0=\"\">Last year was an unusual 9-8 season for the Bengals. They beat seven different teams that finished with winning records: the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/san-francisco-49ers-team\">49ers<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/buffalo-bills-team\">Bills<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/cleveland-browns-team\">Browns<\/a>, Rams,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/seattle-seahawks-team\">Seahawks<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/jacksonville-jaguars-team\">Jaguars<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/indianapolis-colts-team\">Colts<\/a>. They swept the entire NFC West. At the same time, they went just 1-5 against an extremely strong AFC North, getting swept by the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/baltimore-ravens-team\">Ravens<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/pittsburgh-steelers-team\">Steelers<\/a>, with three of the five losses by 14 points or more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mg-t-b-20 ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt88 mg-t-b-20 article-content\" data-v-eb7a7de0=\"\">The perks of being the best last-place team in the NFL? You get a last-place schedule, which means three games against other last-place teams. These are legitimately bad teams as well: the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/carolina-panthers-team\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Panthers<\/a>\u00a0(2-15 last year), the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/new-england-patriots-team\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Patriots<\/a>\u00a0(4-13) and the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/tennessee-titans-team\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Titans<\/a>\u00a0(6-11). To put it another way: Seven NFL teams won six games or fewer last season, and the Bengals get to play six of them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mg-t-b-20 ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt88 mg-t-b-20 article-content\" data-v-eb7a7de0=\"\">A year ago, the Bengals opened the year 1-3, but this season should be the opposite. They play at the Chiefs in Week 2, but the rest of their first month is quite manageable: home against the Patriots and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/washington-commanders-team\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Commanders<\/a>\u00a0and at the Panthers, which could easily be a 3-1 start before a huge Week 5 home game against\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/baltimore-ravens-team\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Baltimore<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mg-t-b-20 ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt88 mg-t-b-20 article-content\" data-v-eb7a7de0=\"\">A healthy Burrow won&#8217;t be the only change for Cincinnati. Running back\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/joe-mixon-player\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Joe Mixon<\/a>, their leading rusher for each of the past seven seasons, was traded to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/houston-texans-team\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Texans<\/a>, so the Bengals will turn to newcomer\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/zack-moss-player\">Zack Moss<\/a>, who rushed for 794 yards and five touchdowns with the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/indianapolis-colts-team\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Colts<\/a>\u00a0last year. Star receivers\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/jamarr-chase-player\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ja&#8217;Marr Chase<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/tee-higgins-player\">Tee Higgins<\/a>\u00a0are back, though the absence of a long-term extension for Higgins could mean that this will be his final season in Cincinnati, and the receiver depth was thinned when\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/tyler-boyd-player\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tyler Boyd<\/a>\u00a0signed in free agency with the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/tennessee-titans-team\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Titans<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mg-t-b-20 ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt88 mg-t-b-20 article-content\" data-v-eb7a7de0=\"\">Cincinnati swapped out right tackles, with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/trenton-brown-player\">Trent Brown<\/a>\u00a0replacing\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/jonah-williams-player\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jonah Williams<\/a>, and signed tight end\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/mike-gesicki-player\">Mike Gesicki<\/a>, who totaled 18 touchdowns from 2019-22 before a quiet year with the Patriots in 2023. The biggest offensive change came when offensive coordinator Brian Callahan left to become the Titans&#8217; head coach \u2014 the Bengals and Titans meet in Nashville in Week 15 \u2014 so former quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher has been promoted to run what is still head coach Zac Taylor&#8217;s offense.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mg-t-b-20 ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt88 mg-t-b-20 article-content\" data-v-eb7a7de0=\"\">The Bengals will need a bounce-back year from their defense as well. Cincinnati had the league&#8217;s No. 6 scoring defense in 2022, but after losing key players like safety\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/jessie-bates-iii-player\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jessie Bates<\/a>, the Bengals took a major step back last season with a young, unproven secondary. Cincinnati ranked 21st in scoring defense, but 31st in total defense and dead last in yards per play and yards per pass play. The Bengals gave up 65 pass plays of 20 yards or longer, second-worst in the league to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/detroit-lions-team\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mg-t-b-20 ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt88 mg-t-b-20 article-content\" data-v-eb7a7de0=\"\">Toward that end, Cincinnati signed safety\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/geno-stone-player\">Geno Stone<\/a>\u00a0from the Ravens, and after losing defensive lineman\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/dj-reader-player\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DJ Reader<\/a>\u00a0to the Texans, the Bengals added veteran\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/sheldon-rankins-player\">Sheldon Rankins<\/a>\u00a0for help there, as well as second-round rookie\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/kris-jenkins-2-player\">Kris Jenkins Jr<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mg-t-b-20 ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt88 mg-t-b-20 article-content\" data-v-eb7a7de0=\"\">If the Bengals are to return to their 2021-22 form as a team capable of a deep playoff run, the most important turnaround is in the division. Going 1-5 last season speaks to the strength of the AFC North, with the Ravens, Browns and Steelers all making the playoffs in 2023 and Baltimore reaching the conference championship. That means Cincinnati has nine games \u2014 more than half its schedule \u2014 against playoff teams from last year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mg-t-b-20 ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt88 mg-t-b-20 article-content\" data-v-eb7a7de0=\"\">The Bengals have no division games until Week 5 against Baltimore, and the two showdowns with the Steelers are both in the final six weeks of the regular season, including a potentially significant Week 18 game in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mg-t-b-20 ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt88 mg-t-b-20 article-content\" data-v-eb7a7de0=\"\">But in the end, it all comes back to Burrow. His 15 touchdowns and six interceptions in 10 games last year pro-rate to 25 and 10 over a full season. If he can get back to his prolific production from 2021 (34 TD passes) and 2022 (35), Cincinnati should be in the thick of the division race and a dangerous playoff team again.<i>Greg Auman is FOX Sports&#8217; NFC South reporter, covering the\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/tampa-bay-buccaneers-team\"><i><u>Buccaneers<\/u><\/i><\/a><i>,\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/atlanta-falcons-team\"><i><u>Falcons<\/u><\/i><\/a><i>,\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/carolina-panthers-team\"><i><u>Panthers<\/u><\/i><\/a><i>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/nfl\/new-orleans-saints-team\"><i><u>Saints<\/u><\/i><\/a><i>. He is in his 10th season covering the Bucs and the NFL full-time, having spent time at the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/gregauman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><u>@gregauman<\/u><\/i><\/a><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is there an\u00a0NFL\u00a0team better poised for a bounce-back year than the\u00a0Cincinnati Bengals? The health of quarterback\u00a0Joe Burrow\u00a0will always have a huge bearing on the Bengals&#8217; success. In 2023, he was &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1290,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1289","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1289"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1289\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1291,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1289\/revisions\/1291"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1289"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}