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.
3. Fix the defensive unit
The Cincinnati Bengals are not a team that usually goes out and spends a lot of money adding veteran players via free agency. The organization has relied heavily on its ability to find players via the draft and, despite a lack of postseason success, the franchise has done very well in this regard.
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In terms of free agent addition in 2019, the list includes guard John Miller (Buffalo Bills) and a pair of former New York Giants in defensive lineman Kerry Wynn and cornerback B.W. Webb. The latter duo hopes to help new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo turn things around this season. The one-time assistant with the Miami Dolphins and Giants inherits a unit that allowed the most total yards and most rushing yards in the league this past season.
The Bengals surrendered 49 offensive touchdowns in 2018, 32 of those through the air. The club allowed at least 23 points in all but three games. While this club finished plus-1 in turnover-differential, it should be noted that the club forced only 18 turnovers. In fact, Cincinnati has totaled a mere 32 takeaways in as many games the past two seasons combined.
Defensive linemen Geno Atkins (10) and Carlos Dunlap (8) combined for more than half of the club’s 34 sacks. But safeties Jessie Bates (111) and Shawn Williams (108) finished 1-2 on the team in tackles, respectively, and combined for eight of the Bengals’ 12 interceptions. But Anarumo will need more from the linebacking corps this season.
2. Protect Andy Dalton
For any number of years, the Cincinnati Bengals were led by one of the better offensive lines in the league. The front was spearheaded by left tackle Andrew Whitworth and featured quite the inside punch of guards Clint Boling and Kevin Zeitler as well. During the 2017 offseason, Whitworth inked a deal with the Los Angeles Rams and Zeitler (now a member of the New York Giants) signed with the Cleveland Browns.
It’s safe to say this group really hasn’t been the same since. To the team’s credit, it took some steps last offseason by trading for left tackle Cordy Glenn and using a first-round draft choice on center Billy Price. In 2017, Cincinnati finished last in the league in total offense, 31st in rushing yards per game and allowed 40 sacks. This past season, the Bengals’ running game was 21st in the NFL and the club surrendered 37 quarterback traps.
Last month, the Bengals used the 11th overall pick in the draft to select promising Alabama Crimson Tide offensive tackle Jonah Williams. He figures to be the right tackle opposite Glenn and that’s good news for quarterback Andy Dalton. Over the past three seasons, he’s been sacked 101 times in 43 regular-season outings. In four of his first five years in the NFL, the eight-year pro was dropped less than 30 times. It’s safe to say the line must come together sooner than later.
1. Become competitive (again) in the AFC North
This past season, the Cincinnati Bengals got off to a 4-1 start. And in Week 2, the club made it look easy against the eventual division champion Baltimore Ravens. The club posted an impressive 34-23 Thursday night victory at Paul Brown Stadium.
However, when it was all said and done, the team would lose nine of its final 11 games and that included a combined five straight setbacks to their AFC North rivals from Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Baltimore. The 1-5 showing within the division was the Bengals’ worst since an identical finish in 2008.
Over the past three seasons, Cincinnati owns a 7-11 record vs. their divisional neighbors. It’s a far cry from a club that won the AFC North in 2015 with a 12-4 mark, including a 5-1 regular-season record vs. the division.
This past year, the Bengals were swept by the Browns for the first time since 2002. Including a home playoff loss in 2015, Cincinnati has dropped eight straight games to the Steelers. Over the past three seasons, the Bengals and Ravens have split their two-game set each year.
There’s a lot to be fixed when it comes to this club. And showing the ability to beat the likes of the Ravens, Browns and especially that albatross in Pittsburgh would certainly be a step in the right direction.