How the Cincinnati Bengals can win the AFC North

The Cincinnati Bengals’ five straight playoff appearances have been followed by three consecutive losing seasons, so how can they win a division title in 2019?

There was a time that the team from the Queen City was a postseason staple. From 2011-15, the Cincinnati Bengals were division champions twice and a wild card team three times. Under head coach Marvin Lewis, the team owned an impressive 52-27-1 record over that span. Of course, none of those playoff appearances resulted in victory.

A year ago, Lewis’ squad was looking to rebound after two straight sub-.500 showings. The Bengals got off to a 4-1 start and had the look of a confident football team. Cincinnati’s offense was in high gear and the team actually opened 2018 with wins over the playoff-bound Colts and Ravens.

But it all fell apart very quickly for Lewis’ club. The Bengals dropped nine of their final 11 outings, quarterback Andy Dalton would not finish the season and the defense was a disaster.

When it was all said and done, the Bengals plummeted to 6-10 and finished dead last, in the divisional basement for the first time since 2010. Lewis was gone after 16 seasons with the franchise and now it’s up to former Los Angeles Rams’ quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor to reverse the fortunes of a franchise that has gone a combined 19-28-1 the past three seasons.

There is certainly plenty of room for improvement when it comes to this team. But who say they can’t turn things around in one year and win the AFC North for the first time since 2015? If they are to achieve that feat, here’s three things that would help their cause.