Cincinnati Bengals: The AFC North’s sleeping offensive juggernaut

The Cincinnati Bengals boast a surprisingly talented offense led by Joe Burrow.

In Zac Taylor’s first season as a head coach, the Cincinnati Bengals finished with an abysmal 2-14 record. The defense collapsed, and Andy Dalton had arguably the worst year of his career. Fortunately, the lost season allowed Cincinnati to build one of the league’s most talented offenses. Even without a stellar defense, the Bengals could win some surprising games in 2020.

Cincinnati’s 2-14 record ranked last in the league, securing the top selection in the 2020 NFL Draft. Sending the 2019 season up in flames allowed the Bengals to draft LSU’s Joe Burrow. The Heisman winning quarterback led his school to the National Championship last season and set several records. Burrow is easily the top quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck.

The entire offense and season revolve around how Burrow plays this year, and his coaches are confident in the young quarterback. Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator Brian Callahan told ESPN:

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"His preparation habits are at such a high level that he knows everything whenever he needs to know it. Everything comes to him quickly, primarily because he works really hard at understanding it all. For a kid that hasn’t played NFL football, he has a great feel for the game."

It’s not just Burrow’s preparation that’s turning heads. In a scrimmage on Aug. 21, Burrow connected on his first six pass attempts for 69 yards and a touchdown. He finished the scrimmage, having completed 13 of his 19 passes, and the offense scored on every possession.

After the scrimmage, Taylor told the media,

"I thought he was in good control of the offense today. There’s one down in the red zone he’ll probably want back on an extended play. Other than that, I thought he led the offense. He did a nice job communicating and had some nice drives for us."

Top-notch Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver room

The Bengals landed another first-round-caliber talent when they selected Clemson’s Tee Higgins with the 33rd overall pick. The 6-4 receiver thrived in college, teaming up with Trevor Lawrence. In his final two collegiate seasons, Higgins caught 25 touchdowns. He’s the best jump-ball receiver in the rookie class and adds a new level of versatility to Cincinnati’s stacked wide receiver corps.

Last year, the Bengals didn’t have two of their best offensive players. A.J. Green chose to sit out the season instead of participating in the ill-fated effort. Green opened his career with seven consecutive Pro Bowl appearances before injuries took over in 2018. If Green is 80% of what he was during his prime, the 32-year-old could still go for over 1,000 yards.

Green recently told Lindsay Patterson, via Cincy Jungle: “I think this is the most loaded the receiver has been since 2015. We have a stacked offense.”

The 2015 Bengals offense featured Green, Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu. Green is the elder statesman on this year’s unit, which includes Tyler Boyd, Higgins and John Ross. Alex Erickson and Auden Tate add great depth, considering the receivers combined for 1,104 receiving yards last year. If Higgins and Ross both become consistent contributors and Green maintains his health, Cincinnati has the NFL’s deepest receiver corps.

The Bengals played without their 2019 first-round pick last season. Left tackle Jonah Williams missed his rookie year after undergoing surgery for a torn labrum. The Alabama product was the first offensive lineman taken in his draft class. Cincinnati’s offensive line allowed the ninth-most sacks last year. If Williams lives up to his draft pedigree, the former All-American could transform Cincinnati’s offensive line.

Future star running back

Joe Mixon needs Williams’ support upfront. The running back spent most of last season playing behind a porous offensive line that defenders decimated. Mixon struggled during Cincinnati’s first eight games, averaging 40 rushing yards per game and 3.17 yards per attempt. However, he played at an All-Pro level during the season’s final eight weeks.

Mixon averaged 102 rushing yards per game and 4.62 yards per attempt in his final eight appearances. He also scored five touchdowns. That’s a glimpse of Mixon’s full potential as a runner. With Burrow reviving the air attack and Williams upgrading the offensive line, Mixon could finally earn the Pro Bowl selection he’s been searching for.

Cincinnati faces an uphill climb in 2020. The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers have top-five defenses while the Cleveland Browns possess an incredibly talented and inconsistent roster. However, the Bengals have enough firepower to blast out a couple of wins against playoff contenders.