The Cincinnati Bengals are one of really two to three teams in the NFL where it seems it is only a matter of time before they win the Super Bowl. Also, in that category I would put the Bills and maybe the Eagles (if they can be dominant again this year). To me those are teams that have shown 2-3 years of strong play, are able to go deep into the playoffs, have young players that can continue to play top level football and teams you just expect to have strong years. To sum it up they always have a chance to get to the final game if they can just put it together at the right time. Kansas City has proven to be great, the Tom Brady era Patriots showed they could and it is now time for some of these younger teams to prove it. This is not me saying they will hold the Lombardi trophy at the end of the year but that they have the talent and pieces to do so.
Did the Bengals have a good Banged Up Score last season?
One of those pieces is team health. The three teams I mentioned above all finished in the top half of teams when comparing Banged Up Scores (the health metric used by The Predictors). It’s no surprise that this is the case as we know health is a major contributor to success. It is also no surprise that the Eagles and Kansas City finished in the top 5 last year as Super Bowl contenders. What about Cincinnati? A team who made it to the big game in 2022 but was eliminated in the conference championships this past year by the Super Bowl Champion Chiefs?
Who was injured on the Cincinnati Bengals last year?
The Bengals were a team who have decent positional depth and despite injuries to star players, they had athletes that were able to fill in and provide stability and strong play. With an average B.U.S. last season of 77.2 the Bengals were not without their fair share of health issues. Standout WR Ja’Marr Chase dealt with a hairline fracture to his hip as well as a torn labrum, sidelining him week 8-12. A big blow to an offense who had relied on him for big plays including six touchdowns and 605 yards before his 4-game stint on the sideline. He was still able to finish the regular season with over 1000 yards receiving, however. Possibly even bigger complications were the offensive line in the playoffs. With OT Jonah Stillman Williams, OG Alex Cappa and OT La’el Collins all out due to injury their team Banged Up Score dropped from an 83.1 to a 73.2. Fortunately for the Bengals, backups Max Scharping, Hakeem Adeniji, and Jackson Carman showed they were up to the challenge against the Bills, opening holes and providing protection allowing just 1 sack as the Cincinnati offense went for 412 yards including 172 rushing yards. That ended however one game later in the conference championship verse the Chiefs where the O-line allowed 5 sacks and only 309 yards of total offense including just 71 yards rushing in a close 23-20 loss.
CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 04: Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Jonah Stillman Williams (73) lines up for a play during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals on December 4, 2022, at the Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire)
On defense, big impact injuries were a bit less prominent but still present. An ACL tear to CB Chidobe Awuzie was a big blow to the defensive secondary forcing Cam Taylor-Britt to take his place. On the defensive line both D.J. Reader (MCL) and Josh Tupou (Calf) dealt with lower extremity issues causing missed games. What’s more important is the reduction in performance following the injury. In-fact our data on calf injuries on the defensive line show anywhere from a 10%-15% decrease for your first 3 games back. This means that even after returning to game play he wasn’t able to compete at his top level. Something that has to be accounted for by coaching strategy.
Overall, the Bengals were able to do well with the players they had available to them. Fans, staff and players alike I’m sure weren’t happy with the season outcome after their Super Bowl appearance just 1 year prior but considering the health of the team they were eliminated right around where you would expect. Finishing 8th in average B.U.S. weekly ranking they finished the regular season with that average position of 11.1/32 over the 18 weeks. This put them 2nd in the AFC North to only the Steelers.
Next year Cincinnati will once again be a top choice by many to make it all the way. I have no disagreement with that take assuming they can stay healthy. The NFL season is a long one and health plays a major factor in the outcome, the Bengals were a prime example of that last year as multiple injuries to the O-line happened at an inopportune time. If they can avoid this next year then I see them once again going far into the playoffs and having a chance at winning it all.
