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In the upcoming season, the Cincinnati Bengals hope to surprise and reach the playoffs in a strong AFC North. To achieve that, they hope that the experience acquired by Joe Burrow in his rookie year will be enough to raise the general level of the team.
The AFC North is extremely competitive. The Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers reached the playoffs last year and will be strong contenders again in 2021. Cincinnati is still in the process of catching up and Burrow's evolution is the key factor in fighting for something more.
On that note, let's have a look at 5 strengths and weaknesses for the Bengals heading into the 2021-22 season.
Strengths
#1 Joe Burrow
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The Bengals quarterback was playing well as a rookie until he suffered a serious knee injury and missed the remainder of the 2020 season. Burrow is a solid and intelligent player who does a great job exploring the middle of the field. With more experience and an improved offensive line, he's poised to have a breakout year.
#2 Ja’Marr Chase
Burrow's best friend arrives to replace AJ Green and he'll be looking to make an immediate impact. Chase is complete: he has enough speed to stretch the opponent's defenses but his main strength is to create separation through his route running and make contested catches. He will be the number one receiver for the Bengals from day one.
#3 Defensive line depth
The Bengals aren't known for spending a lot of money on free agency, but the last two years have seen them spend on the market to bolster the defensive line. Trey Hendrickson and DJ Reader are the big stars, but players like Sam Hubbard, Larry Ogunjobi, Joseph Ossai and Cameron Sample are pretty important in terms of depth.
#4 Jessie Bates
The highlight of the Bengals secondary is Bates, who received a Second-Team All-Pro nomination in 2020 after an excellent year. Bates has done a fantastic job patrolling the middle of the field since he was picked in the 2018 Draft and he's one of Cincinnati's most important players.
#5 Starting tackles
The Bengals got a great boost in free agency by signing Riley Reiff for the tackle position, complementing Jonah Williams to protect the ends of the offensive line. After Burrow's serious injury, Cincinnati's need to improve its protection was evident. At least they managed to do so.
Weaknesses
#1 Coaching staff
Since becoming the Bengals head coach in 2019, Zac Taylor still hasn't shown why he should keep the job. It doesn't seem like anything he did in Cincinnati was instrumental in improving the team's performance, and the team needs to ask itself whether staying with Taylor won't be detrimental to Burrow's development for years to come.
#2 Interior offensive line
The protection at the ends of the line has improved a lot, but the interior is still quite worrying, and the arrival of Jackson Carman as guard will not be enough to transform the group. With Burrow coming back from a serious injury as a rookie, the Bengals should have done more to protect their quarterback's health.
#3 Tight ends
A group that was below average last year still lacks in quality in 2021. CJ Uzomah and Drew Sample simply don't have enough quality to impact the passing game and Burrow will be without an escape valve in moments of pressure during the games.
#4 Linebacker group
Don't feel bad if you can't quickly remember a Cincinnati Bengals linebacker: it's a group lacking quality and will be the Achilles' heel of the team's defense in 2021. Logan Wilson needs to improve a lot in his second year to alleviate the Bengals' problems in the position.
#5 Secondary depth
The Bengals invested a lot of money in the secondary, especially in Trae Waynes, but that's a group that's better on paper than on the field, especially with the presence of players such as Eli Apple and Vonn Bell, who didn't live up to expectations during their careers. For the pass defense to be good, Cincinnati will need a bit of luck.
