NFL
By: Jalen Willingham
Last Season, the Cincinnati Bengals shocked the world. No one, not even myself, thought that they’d win the AFC North, win a playoff game for the first time in over 30 years and then go on to reach the Super Bowl. Doing all of this, while having very low expectations, officially put them on the map. Many people expected another lackluster year that would result in Zac Taylor being fired. That was not the case. The 2022 season is here, and now the world is watching.
via bengals.com
Joe Burrow was sacked 70 times last season, so it’s a miracle that Cincinnati even got as far as they did. Left tackle Jonah Williams is the only returning member of the starting offensive line from last season. Following an unfortunate defeat to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 56, the Bengals made it a priority to upgrade the offensive line. Signing center Ted Karras, guard Alex Cappa and offensive tackle La’El Collins instantly make the offensive line noticeably better than the product of the past. While these additions are great, I still worry about the overall depth if someone gets hurt. Injuries, especially in Cincinnati, are inevitable. They did draft offensive guard Cordell Volson in the 4th round out of North Dakota State, but I doubt if Burrow would want to rely on another day 3 pick to protect him right now. Second-year player Jackson Carman will also be thrown into the mix to compete for the starting left guard spot.
Now entering year 3, Joe Burrow should only continue to get better in a dangerous and powerful offense. The entire city of Cincinnati has rallied behind him. The Bengals possess some of the best all-around offensive weapons in the league. The wide receiver trio of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd is easily top 3. Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon will look to have a field day in the running game. While the Bengals can easily air it out, I actually would want to see them run the ball a little more in 2022 to keep Burrow from taking so many hits. They were 23rd in total rushing yards last season. Overall, the skill players should all be able to flourish even more behind the best offensive line of their young careers so far.
In other aspects of the offense, this offseason saw the loss of veteran tight end and leader C.J. Uzomah. He is now replaced by Hayden Hurst. Despite the usually limited use of the tight end spot in the passing game, Hurst has the potential to be a very promising piece and put up solid numbers. Behind Hurst is former 2nd-round pick Drew Sample who is now entering year 4. While being used primarily for blocking, there is still a lot to be desired out of him in the passing game. In 3 seasons, he only has a grand total of 460 yards. Maybe he’ll surprise me. We’ll just have to wait and see.
The Bengals drafted very well with the particular spots they were in. Besides Volson in the 4th round, their draft featured safety Daxton Hill (Michigan), cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt (Nebraska), defensive tackle Zach Carter (Florida), safety Tycen Anderson (Toledo), and edge rusher Jeffrey Gunter (Coastal Carolina). With the situation around Jessie Bates still up in the air, Hill may or may not be a key contributor right away. If Taylor-Britt excels, perhaps he can eventually be their starting cornerback. As for most of the players drafted, they will be depth for the time being that should have bigger roles in the future.
Defensively, there is a nice mix of young talent and veterans everywhere that will only get better. Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson leads the way on the defensive line. After losing defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the interior players will now be B.J. Hill and D.J. Reader. They are both very capable in both the run and passing game. You can thank Reader for slowing down Derrick Henry in the Divisional Round last season. Sam Hubbard, the longest-tenured player on the defensive line, will also be the defensive end opposite of Hendrickson.
Logan Wilson leads the linebacker room. He has the potential to be a future pro bowl player. There is a lot of young talent here that will continue to develop. Akeem Davis-Gaither will look to make more of an impact in 2022 after missing most of last season due to injuries. How can I forget about Germaine Pratt, the man who made the game-sealing interception to bring the Bengals their first playoff win in decades. I do want to see him be more consistent this season, however. There is still solid play with good depth all-around here.
The defensive backs came up big in the clutch for Cincinnati in the 2021 playoffs. The already talented Bengals secondary is even better in 2022 by adding 3 rookie defensive backs. Chidobe Awuzie is a solid CB1 while the explosion of Eli Apple onto the scene was least expected. When you weren’t solely focusing on what he was saying on social media, you begin to realize that Apple had the best year of his career in 2021. Can he repeat that success? I actually hope and think so. It also wouldn’t hurt to relax on social media trash talk. He isn’t an All-Pro by any means. 2nd round pick Cam-Taylor Britt will be right behind him just in case something goes wrong. Mike Hilton will be the trusty slot corner once again while Vonn Bell is a reliable starter at strong safety. 1st round pick Daxton Hill gives this secondary much-needed versatility while being able to play both corner and safety. With Jessie Bates’ future in Cincinnati still up in the air, the Bengals made the right decision to get depth in case he leaves. If everything works out though, good for the Bengals.
All in all, this team has only gotten better. Unfortunately for them, however, so have many other AFC teams. It also doesn’t help to have a tougher schedule either. Having to face the Titans, Chiefs, Browns, Buccaneers, Patriots, and Bills in consecutive weeks to end the season will show the league who the Bengals really are. The Baltimore Ravens will look to be much more competitive this time around and I expect both teams to fight for the number 1 spot in the always tough AFC North.
2022 Record Prediction: 11-6
1st in AFC North
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