The Cincinnati Bengals have missed the playoffs each of the last two seasons, but thanks to an explosive offense, many have not given up hope on Joe Burrow and Co. But are the Bengals good enough to actually win a Super Bowl?
Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic doesn't seem to think Cincinnati has what it takes to actually contend for a championship, citing its shaky defense as a reason why he does not quite believe in the squad.
"For me, there are too many variables without proof of concept on defense to buy that the Bengals can improve enough to win the Super Bowl," Dehner wrote.
Cincinnati ranked 25th in the NFL in defense last year and really has not improved a whole lot during the offseason.
"This offense could be the best in football and more than enough to carry this team back to the playoffs with even the slightest amount of help," Dehner continued. "You just have to squint too hard to see it reaching the top-12 unit the Bengals need to capture a title. ... A return to the playoffs looks good, but today there's not enough to count on to see a truly special season."
Yeah, it does seem hard to envision this iteration of Cincinnati's defense actually being good enough. The chances of the unit finishing within the top 15 — let alone the top 12 — seem relatively slim, particularly considering that the Bengals struggle in defending both the run and the pass. It's not like the defense is good in any one area.
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It's nice that Cincinnati was able to reach an agreement with Trey Hendrickson, but beyond him, the pass rush is in flux, and outside of first-round pick Shemar Stewart, the Bengals didn't add anyone of significance to their defense over the last several months.
When you consider the quarterbacks that Cincy will be facing in the AFC this season, it's completely fair to question whether or not this is even a playoff team.
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