3 reasons why the Cincinnati Bengals will fail to make the playoffs this upcoming season

The Cincinnati Bengals were not considered title contenders heading into the 2021 NFL season. Yet, with a little bit of luck and a lot of work, the Bengals proved their doubters wrong. They won 10 games and fought their way to the Super Bowl. Ultimately, they came up short, but due to last season's success, expectations are high.

No longer the underdogs, Cincinnati could struggle with the favorites tag. For those expecting the Bengals to make another run to the Super Bowl, there are a few matters to consider.

Here are three reasons why the Bengals won't make the playoffs in 2022:

#1 - Strength of Schedule

Super Bowl LVI - Los Angeles Rams v Cincinnati Bengals

For the 2022 NFL season, only the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals will have a more arduous road. With the Bengals' strength of schedule checking in at number three in the entire league, narrow wins can easily become narrow losses.

If you look at the teams they have to face in this campaign, there are some very tricky fixtures. Starting in their division, the AFC North, those six games are tricky. The Baltimore Ravens have a very strong roster and a quarterback who is putting it all out there in 2022. Lamar Jackson wants to prove himself before signing a new deal, so will be putting on a show. The Ravens are a dark horse for the AFC and cannot be discounted.

The Cleveland Browns are in a bit of a mess at quarterback but in the worst case scenario will be starting Jacoby Brissett. Brissett is a capable, solid quarterback who doesn't turn the ball over much. The Browns have a strong defense and an even stronger running game and could still grind anyone down, especially if you have abad day on offense.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are harder to predict. Following the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, it is uncertain as to who they will start at quarterback. Will it be rookie Kenny Pickett or Mitch Trubisky? Trubisky might be a new player after spending a year with the Buffalo Bills as a backup and away from the somewhat stagnant offense of the Chicago Bears. Alternatively, he might not.

With the Steelers, it's their defense that can be the most problematic. They can and will hurt you if you're not careful. After the Bengals not only swept but humiliated them last year, the Steelers will have revenge on their minds.

Other tricky matchups include the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills. So on the whole, a very rough schedule.

#2 - The Bengals were fortunate last year

AFC Championship - Cincinnati Bengals v Kansas City Chiefs

Heading into the 2021 NFL season, Cincinnati were mostly viewed as tenuous competition for most of the NFL. Joe Burrow was seen as a highly talented quarterback who may or may not be the same after an ACL injury.

He was taken with the number one overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and missed roughly half of his rookie season following the injury. As he began making his way back onto the field, rumors of him struggling swirled.

Ultimately, Burrow proved to be just fine, leading Cincinnati to 10 victories and then all the way to the Super Bowl. As we take a closer look at their record this past season, several of their games nearly went the other way.

In four of their 10 victories last season, Cincinnati won by just single figures. Even more alarming, three of those close victories came against teams that finished the year near the bottom of the NFL. These were against the Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Minnesota Vikings. If the ball bounced the other way in some of those wins, Cincinnati could’ve ended the year with a much smaller number in the win column.

Although luck was a bit on their side last season, it appears unlikely that they’ll have that same amount of good fortune in the 2022 campaign.

#3 - The AFC has improved

Cincinnati Bengals v Las Vegas Raiders

While Joe Burrow regularly enjoyed slicing and dicing through defenses in 2021, he won’t catch opposing teams off guard this year. More importantly, a number of teams in the AFC have improved their overall roster.

The Dolphins added Tyreek Hill, the Bills signed Von Miller and the Indianapolis Colts got Matt Ryan. Then there's the AFC West. The Las Vegas Raiders landed Davante Adams, the Denver Broncos got Russell Wilson, the Los Angeles Chargers now have Khalil Mack and the Chiefs, well they're still the Kansas City Chiefs.

By and large, the Bengals have remained the same. And while their current roster is elite, their competition in the AFC has gotten considerably better.