As a Cincinnati Bengals fan, I can certainly admit that this season was a colossal disappointment. After starting the season with another annoyingly slow start following a nagging calf injury to superstar Joe Burrow during training camp, Cincinnati managed to pile a few complete games together before the elite quarterback suffered another season ending wrist injury in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens. After that (regardless of a resilient attempt of a playoff push to end the season), I knew that it was going to be another lost season in Cincinnati.
Bengals Break Bizarre Record to End the Season
Although I have argued the team seemed out of sync from basically the moment they stepped on the field in Week 1 of the 2023 season, they closed the season as the first team since the 1935 Chicago Cardinals (yes, that long) to finish the season with a winning record but also finish last in their division.
Even after backup quarterback Jake Browning put up staggering numbers down the stretch, the once opportunistic Cincinnati defense ranked as one of the worst in the league as it was obvious that the unit had taken a dramatic step back. While the team was one of the best tackling units in the NFL last season, the team simply couldn’t manage to make clean tackles all season as the group gave up big yardage plays all season.
On top of that, the offense never really showed a major weak point but simply couldn’t put up the elite numbers that everyone expected this season with three Pro Bowl quality receivers, a superstar quarterback and a Pro Bowl caliber running back. While the team boasted some of the most elite talent on any offense in the NFL, the coaching staff really held back the group as they never showed any diversity in the plays they ran. Even with the elite talent on the roster, the team couldn’t get much going on offense for most of the season.
Cincinnati did officially lock themselves in at the 18th overall pick after finishing the season 9-8. 18th will be the best pick the team has had since they drafted elite receiver Ja’Marr Chase with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. For a team that struggled down the stretch, the team doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses that will demand that pick so the team will be able to spend it on the best player available. The only positions of need will be generated by decisions the team makes in free agency including the expected departures of offensive tackle Jonah Williams and Defensive Tackle D.J. Reader.
Even though the season didn’t go the way I expected, I eagerly anticipate the future of my team and hope that they make the right decisions to keep this Super Bowl Contender together heading into the 2024 season. Who Dey!
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