Arkansas Bengal Posted September 7, 2023 Report Share Posted September 7, 2023 ESPN FPI's chances to win AFC North: 44% Chances to make the playoffs: 73% Projected wins: 10.6 Strength of schedule: 16th hardest What do the Bengals do the best? Run an efficient offense. Last season, the Bengals ranked fifth in points per drive (2.34) and red zone efficiency (64.9%), the highest finishes in those categories in the Joe Burrow era. Even when defenses forced Burrow into shorter passes to gain yards, Cincinnati still ended 27.8% of its drives for touchdowns. If the Bengals can create more drives and maintain that touchdown rate, the combo could yield one of the NFL's best offenses. -- Ben Baby What is the Bengals' biggest weakness? Offensive line. The Bengals have significantly improved the offensive line over the past two years by putting new starters at all five spots. However, there's still a gap between that unit and the others on the team. Bringing in Orlando Brown Jr. at left tackle, moving Jonah Williams to right tackle and a second year of chemistry for the interior players could be crucial to improving a unit that ranked 30th in pass block win rate (50.1%) in 2022. -- Baby Stat to know: The Bengals signed Brown, a top free agent, this offseason -- and for good reason. Since drafting Burrow in 2020, Cincinnati has had the worst pass block win rate (49.6%) in the NFL. And only the Bears (152) have allowed more sacks than the Bengals (147) in that span. play 1:25 Should Bengals fans be at ease with Joe Burrow back at practice? Frank Isola and Israel Gutierrez take a look at the Bengals as quarterback Joe Burrow returns to practice. Fantasy sleeper candidate: RB Chase Brown. As a complementary options behind starter Joe Mixon, Brown has the contact balance and one-cut running ability to pepper the ball between the tackles. He handled heavy volume during his final season at Illinois. If Mixon were to miss game time, Brown would become a fantasy starter in your lineup, with the ability to release out of the backfield in the pass game. -- Bowen https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38299957/nfl-team-previews-2023-predictions-fantasy-sleepers-depth-charts#cin Cincinnati Bengals AT Cleveland Browns WHERE: Cleveland Browns Stadium (Cleveland) WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | CBS MONEYLINE: Bengals: -140 | Browns: +118 SPREAD: Bengals -2.5 | O/U: 48.0 Table inside Article Ali Brooke Dan Gennaro Tom Bengals 23-20 Bengals 28-24 Bengals 24-21 Browns 22-21 Bengals 31-21 Why Tom is taking the Bengals: It's hard to know what to expect from Deshaun Watson, who has yet to prove he can make it work in Kevin Stefanski's offense. I have far more faith in Joe Burrow, even with his inexistent training camp. Jim Schwartz and Cleveland's pass rush should provide a good litmus test for Orlando Brown Jr. and Cincy's reshuffled offensive line, but by Sunday evening, concerns about Burrow's calf strain will feel like they belong to a past life. https://www.espn.com/nfl/ Geoff Schwartz: Bengals over Eagles The Eagles are my default team in the NFC until I see anyone else take command of the conference. The 49ers have the best roster in football, but I do not trust Brock Purdy to lead them to a Super Bowl. The Dallas Cowboys have a roster good enough, but I'm not sure Dak Prescott can return the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl in nearly three decades. So I'm going with the Eagles. As a Chiefs fan, I've come to admire the Bengals. The Bengals play a brand of football that wins. They do not make mistakes. They don't have bad turnovers. They do not take killer penalties. They do not allow a ton of explosive plays on defense. The Bengals appear to have fixed their offensive line and if healthy it will provide Joe Burrow enough time to find his weapons. I think it's their time this season. Jason McIntyre: Bengals over Eagles Despite losing both coordinators, the Eagles remain healthy and diverse on offense and dominate the trenches once again to reach the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are a threat, and so is San Francisco, with the Saints as my dark horse. The AFC is much more difficult. You could make a case for seven or even eight teams reaching the Super Bowl, including my Jets, and dangerous teams like Miami and the Chargers. But I'll take Joe Burrow and the Bengals getting to the Super Bowl through a rugged AFC, and then toppling the Eagles in a Vegas classic. https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/2023-24-super-bowl-predictions-experts-pick-which-teams-play-in-win-sb-lviii Andrei Iosivas, WR, Bengals: Nicknamed "The Romanian Rocket," Iosivas is a legendary Ivy League track athlete who has been an absolute star at Bengals camp all summer. His parents speak a combined five languages. He's turned enough heads amongst the Bengals staff that I believe he, too, will have a role in Brian Callahan's souped-up offense. Iosivas is a black belt in Tae Kwan Do, a track and football legend in Hawaii, and still only got two D1 offers out of high school: Princeton and Dartmouth. He made the most out of his time with the Tigers. So much so that he became one of the few wide receivers drafted in the school's rich football history. Big, fast and learning like a sponge — you'll hear his name plenty this year. https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/bold-nfl-predictions-5-under-the-radar-rookies-to-watch-schragers-cheat-sheet 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claptonrocks Posted September 8, 2023 Report Share Posted September 8, 2023 13 hours ago, Arkansas Bengal said: ESPN FPI's chances to win AFC North: 44% Chances to make the playoffs: 73% Projected wins: 10.6 Strength of schedule: 16th hardest What do the Bengals do the best? Run an efficient offense. Last season, the Bengals ranked fifth in points per drive (2.34) and red zone efficiency (64.9%), the highest finishes in those categories in the Joe Burrow era. Even when defenses forced Burrow into shorter passes to gain yards, Cincinnati still ended 27.8% of its drives for touchdowns. If the Bengals can create more drives and maintain that touchdown rate, the combo could yield one of the NFL's best offenses. -- Ben Baby What is the Bengals' biggest weakness? Offensive line. The Bengals have significantly improved the offensive line over the past two years by putting new starters at all five spots. However, there's still a gap between that unit and the others on the team. Bringing in Orlando Brown Jr. at left tackle, moving Jonah Williams to right tackle and a second year of chemistry for the interior players could be crucial to improving a unit that ranked 30th in pass block win rate (50.1%) in 2022. -- Baby Stat to know: The Bengals signed Brown, a top free agent, this offseason -- and for good reason. Since drafting Burrow in 2020, Cincinnati has had the worst pass block win rate (49.6%) in the NFL. And only the Bears (152) have allowed more sacks than the Bengals (147) in that span. play 1:25 Should Bengals fans be at ease with Joe Burrow back at practice? Frank Isola and Israel Gutierrez take a look at the Bengals as quarterback Joe Burrow returns to practice. Fantasy sleeper candidate: RB Chase Brown. As a complementary options behind starter Joe Mixon, Brown has the contact balance and one-cut running ability to pepper the ball between the tackles. He handled heavy volume during his final season at Illinois. If Mixon were to miss game time, Brown would become a fantasy starter in your lineup, with the ability to release out of the backfield in the pass game. -- Bowen https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38299957/nfl-team-previews-2023-predictions-fantasy-sleepers-depth-charts#cin Cincinnati Bengals AT Cleveland Browns WHERE: Cleveland Browns Stadium (Cleveland) WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | CBS MONEYLINE: Bengals: -140 | Browns: +118 SPREAD: Bengals -2.5 | O/U: 48.0 Table inside Article Ali Brooke Dan Gennaro Tom Bengals 23-20 Bengals 28-24 Bengals 24-21 Browns 22-21 Bengals 31-21 Why Tom is taking the Bengals: It's hard to know what to expect from Deshaun Watson, who has yet to prove he can make it work in Kevin Stefanski's offense. I have far more faith in Joe Burrow, even with his inexistent training camp. Jim Schwartz and Cleveland's pass rush should provide a good litmus test for Orlando Brown Jr. and Cincy's reshuffled offensive line, but by Sunday evening, concerns about Burrow's calf strain will feel like they belong to a past life. https://www.espn.com/nfl/ Geoff Schwartz: Bengals over Eagles The Eagles are my default team in the NFC until I see anyone else take command of the conference. The 49ers have the best roster in football, but I do not trust Brock Purdy to lead them to a Super Bowl. The Dallas Cowboys have a roster good enough, but I'm not sure Dak Prescott can return the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl in nearly three decades. So I'm going with the Eagles. As a Chiefs fan, I've come to admire the Bengals. The Bengals play a brand of football that wins. They do not make mistakes. They don't have bad turnovers. They do not take killer penalties. They do not allow a ton of explosive plays on defense. The Bengals appear to have fixed their offensive line and if healthy it will provide Joe Burrow enough time to find his weapons. I think it's their time this season. Jason McIntyre: Bengals over Eagles Despite losing both coordinators, the Eagles remain healthy and diverse on offense and dominate the trenches once again to reach the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are a threat, and so is San Francisco, with the Saints as my dark horse. The AFC is much more difficult. You could make a case for seven or even eight teams reaching the Super Bowl, including my Jets, and dangerous teams like Miami and the Chargers. But I'll take Joe Burrow and the Bengals getting to the Super Bowl through a rugged AFC, and then toppling the Eagles in a Vegas classic. https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/2023-24-super-bowl-predictions-experts-pick-which-teams-play-in-win-sb-lviii Andrei Iosivas, WR, Bengals: Nicknamed "The Romanian Rocket," Iosivas is a legendary Ivy League track athlete who has been an absolute star at Bengals camp all summer. His parents speak a combined five languages. He's turned enough heads amongst the Bengals staff that I believe he, too, will have a role in Brian Callahan's souped-up offense. Iosivas is a black belt in Tae Kwan Do, a track and football legend in Hawaii, and still only got two D1 offers out of high school: Princeton and Dartmouth. He made the most out of his time with the Tigers. So much so that he became one of the few wide receivers drafted in the school's rich football history. Big, fast and learning like a sponge — you'll hear his name plenty this year. https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/bold-nfl-predictions-5-under-the-radar-rookies-to-watch-schragers-cheat-sheet 23-20 Bengals sounds right. Vegas thnks so .and they're not wrong much... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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