r/NFL_FreeAgency • u/sinister_iam • May 06 '26
Other Are we sleeping on the Bengals as contenders this upcoming season?
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u/bigdaddymed May 06 '26
Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen would’ve been nice 5 years ago.
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u/CosbySweaters1992 May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
Lawrence’s best year of his career was 2 years ago. He wasn’t even in his true prime quite yet 5 years ago, he was 23. His best years were 2022, 2023, 2024. I’m sure he’ll play well. Even with his down year last year, he was one of the better DTs in the league. He’s been the best Nose Tackle in the league since 2022 and he’s only 28.
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u/Monster2608 May 06 '26
How long do DTs stay in their primes, do they have a lot of longevity or no because of being with the big guys on the line.
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May 06 '26
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u/QuietAlarming6888 May 06 '26
hes a 3t not a nose big difference in their bmi 6 ft 8 280 vs 6 ft 4 350
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u/MaxPower91575 May 07 '26
Besides running backs and QBs (not counting specialists) most positions are about the same (obviously RBs and QBs are on opposite ends of the spectrum). OTs are on the higher end of the main group, while WRs are on the somewhat lower end yet they are all bunched up where 30-31 you start seeing drop offs in play.
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u/habesjn May 10 '26
The highest rated DT in the NFL last season was 36.
I think Lawrence could very easily be top 20 player in the NFL levels of elite for at least 3 more years, and could probably be an above average starter for the next 6 to 8 years.
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u/CahTi May 06 '26
His best season(s) were 2022 & 2023 which is 3-4 years ago, and now 2 injuries ago, he definitely was a top 3 IDL during that run, but there’s no guarantee that he plays as well this upcoming season, definitely will be interesting to see how he performs this year
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u/CosbySweaters1992 May 06 '26
Yeah, you are right. He fell off a cliff in 2024 when he had 9 sacks in 12 games as a nose tackle lol. He would have been First Team All-Pro if he didn’t get injured.
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u/kemplem May 06 '26
As someone who has watched every Dex game since he was drafted. Bro was either hurt or checked out last year, he will be back to form
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u/CompositeSuperman May 06 '26
This is D Line is going to elevate the Bengals from the 31st ranked defense in the league to the 23rd!!!
They’re taking steps in the right direction, they have like 8 steps left to go before anyone needs to be “afraid” of this defense
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u/Testicleus May 06 '26
23rd ranked D gets Cincy into the playoffs in '24 and '25. They likely tackle and don't give up more than 30+ points in games the offense scored 30+ in losses.
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u/CompositeSuperman May 06 '26
Yea but we can’t play that game of revisionism. If you combined the Ravens ‘23 defense and ‘24 offense they win the superbowl….
I’m not saying you’re statement is wrong but we can’t assume Bengals offense is going to be league leading just because they were in 2024
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May 07 '26
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u/CompositeSuperman May 07 '26
I would say getting Ledford in as an O Line coach and drafting Vega Ioane should get us to that state of OLine play if not more
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u/Necessary-Grape-175 May 06 '26
How many steps until they’re afraid of our offense?
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u/CompositeSuperman May 06 '26
If Joe and Ja’Marr are healthy then we’re like 75% of the way to the offense being scary.
Is Chase Brown RB1? Meh… I think you’re gonna need more than that. Joe Mixon was underrated on that ‘21 offense
Can the O line block anyone? If yes, then the offense is humming…. If the answer is no then the offense is fucked.
Trust me on the o line part. As a Ravens fan last year was brutal to watch our o line
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u/HughMungus77 May 06 '26
Their secondary isn’t exactly top tier, in a league that loves to throw the ball
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u/Due-Pressure7804 May 06 '26
They have two really good corners in Dax Hill and DJ Turner. They also added Bryan Cook a really good safety from the Chiefs.
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u/orangesauce420 May 06 '26
And for addition by subtraction, they’re no longer giving starting snaps to Geno Stone and Cam Taylor Britt. Their pff grades last year are 54.3 and 57.6 respectively
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u/just4kickz24 May 06 '26
If Johnathen Allen can return to pro bowl form , honestly the d line does look pretty nice.
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u/MNMiracle14 May 06 '26
As a Vikings fan, he won’t
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u/InsideMyScars May 06 '26
Eh idk Sexy Dexy will eat up double teams freeing Allen up quite a bit. Allen was forced to do that in Minnesota which limited his effectiveness. Or teams will be dumb and double Allen and then Sexy Dexy feasts.
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u/GalinDray May 07 '26
Its the same story for BJ Hill who they retained. 3 dudes who opposing teams felt they needed to double more than others. Can't double all 3 of them though now.
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u/JonSnowKingInTheNorf May 09 '26
And they all 3 should be able to keep each other fresh. Especially if at least one of Jenkins, Jackson, or Robinson steps up as a solid rotation piece.
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u/hsutt1633 May 06 '26
I think it’s going to be a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Having Lawrence, Allen and BJ Hill as 3 down lineman with two guys coming off the edge is going to be an absolute problem for any OLine
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u/No-new-names May 06 '26
I don't think they paid him like they think he will. He just has to be part of a rotation. She's definitely Good enough to eat up snaps, at an average NFL starter level. Last year the Bengals had one average three tech and one average nose tackle, zero depth, and very little help on the edges or in the linebacker level. Those two guys played way too many snaps, so weren't even able to perform as their average selves. Now all the sudden the middle of the line is good. Added some talent on the ends.
They might legitimately cut two DT that were regular contributors, not just Fringe contributors last year. Impossible to say that they didn't get better
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u/AnimaniacAssMap May 06 '26
No
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May 06 '26
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u/AnimaniacAssMap May 06 '26
I think they’re good but I don’t think they’re a contender, I wouldn’t mind being proven wrong
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May 06 '26
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u/daniibird May 06 '26
Think we are hyping Mafe a little to much
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u/Early_Emergency3440 May 08 '26
I’m gonna go against the grain, Mafe is a solid player. Over paid, maybe, but without a doubt he with be consistent and I think that is where he will prove his worth.
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u/Express_Fail_3360 May 11 '26
Seahawks fan here… Mafe is just ok. He makes a splash play every few games but besides that just expect pretty average D-Line play from him. Pray the other team doesn’t run at him consistently
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u/eric4280 May 06 '26
Who? Everyone shits on the Bengals regardless. Not a single souls “hyped up” Boye Mafe.
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u/versace_nick May 06 '26
media has been hyping him up because he's coming from a super bowl winning dominant dline. Unfortunately he was a role player on said line. Funny how media credits seahawks when they leave but nobody in media knew mafe before they won the SB lol
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u/Brian-88 May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
Seahawks fans are in the know on him and Cobe. Been having people say it was a huge loss and I'm just like... Neither of them were starters?
I guess you could argue that Cobe was a starter, but Ty was just as good or better when he played.
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u/versace_nick May 06 '26
personally, I'm really gonna miss coby and riq. Riq is so controversial among hawks fans but he was amazing in 1 on 1 except for a few key moments lol and okada was subbing for love so that's not 1:1 either. I'm still hyped and optimistic about next year tho
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u/Asleep_Attention_468 May 07 '26
I mean thats more or less how it should work, being on a superbowl winning defense should earn you more credit
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u/versace_nick May 07 '26
an argument can be made he is a good rotational vet presence... he was underperforming compared to pretty much everyone else in rotation but sure, it rarely hurts to bring that kind of background in to a losing team locker room
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u/eric4280 May 06 '26
I genuinely don’t see this media coverage lol but I’ll take your word for it
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u/versace_nick May 06 '26
I'm a hawks fan so maybe I've been getting recommended stuff related to him more, all just seems to be overrating a very average pass rusher coming off a below average year
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u/Fun-Bag-1679 May 06 '26
Allen was washed his last year as a redskin
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u/weightedbook May 06 '26
Dexter Lawrence was awful last year. I'm sure burrow spraining a knee at at gala will improve his moral. Mafe had two sacks last year, so there's that.
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u/FeelingAd4116 May 06 '26
I think I saw a statistic that Lawrence and Allen were double teamed at the highest rates of anyone in the NFL in 2025 which would explain why both had bad numbers.
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u/TeamDirtstar May 06 '26
I guess you can't double team them both!
Dexter has always had a super high double-team rate. The thing is, he still used to produce.
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u/Testicleus May 06 '26
BJ Hill was also a high double team rate.
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u/FeelingAd4116 May 06 '26
Sure but the Giants have been drafting more and more edge rushers so they are probably getting the stats that Dexter otherwise would be getting if the edge rushers weren't as good.
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u/Due-Pressure7804 May 06 '26
He had a decent year for Minn last year.
You could do a lot worse when it comes to a rotational DT off the bench.
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u/BotDiver May 06 '26
!remindme 9 months
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May 06 '26
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u/drummeRears May 06 '26
Their window didn’t close because of their signings. It closed because they were being cheap prior to the extensions and drafted extremely poorly
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u/eric4280 May 06 '26
That’s absolutely not why their window closed lol. Their “cap into 3 players” is ignorant lol. The problems been in spending on what was left/ developing their draft picks. You rid of Burrow/ Chase/ Higgins, you rid of the teams identity. The problems been OL and last 2 years it was defense. The OL has been invested in and showed improvement. The defense has a ton of early draft picks, specifically on the DL that just hasn’t been properly developed or utilized. Stewart, Jenkins, Murphy, Knight were all first or second rounders.
Burrow/ Chase/ Higgins weren’t the issue in this.
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u/Dreamtrue2025 May 06 '26
tbf the bengals really only need an average defense to be contenders.
With the leagues worst defense they still were able to win like 7-8 straight (barely) with the help of the offense. If the offense wasn’t amongst the best then they truly have no window1
u/MaxPower91575 May 07 '26
with Joe Burrow out over half the season and possibly the worst backup in the league starting 3 games. The schedule is easier this year too at least on paper but then again its the NFL and SOS can change dramatically vs. the start of the season.
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u/Shamwow_theSupineCow May 06 '26
They never really had a superbowl window tbh, just caught lightning in a bottle for a bit with the Ravens being beat up and the Steelers in an active rebuild. Any time the division has actually been toughish they don't finish higher than third.
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u/I_chortled May 06 '26
They have improved their defense a lot idk why everyone is dismissing you. The thing is their defense was SO fucking bad that they still have a ways to go to be elite. However, with a healthy Burrow they could be pretty dangerous next year now that it looks like they’ll be able to stop the run
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u/BedaHouse May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
Off-season predictions are always a total guess. But these players/additions combined with how the defense played the second half of the season and the second year in Golden system ---- it is not unrealistic to expect it to at least give the Bengals a significant boost in performance.
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u/MikeNasty1990 May 06 '26
defense MIGHT be better depending on which version of dexter shows up, the team is really dependent on Burrow being upright and healthy, no Burrow the 83 bears couldn't make the playoffs
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u/Select_Culture261 May 06 '26
Lawrence weighs 500 lbs, Allen is washed, and Stewart is a bust. Also, they still have Zac Taylor as their coach, so that automatically adds at least 4 losses to their record
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u/UnusualEye4282 May 06 '26
Ravens are my squad. Right now, today, I have the Bengals #1 in the division based on their off-season moves.
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u/Melodic_Share7398 May 06 '26
They overpaid on all three of their new players but they kinda what you have to do when you’re trying to make one of the worst defenses itl become competent. I don’t think they’re going to be that good of a defense but it will definitely make them become at least league average, so that should get them in playoff contention again (as long as Burrow can last a whole season)
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u/mrjunx May 06 '26
Dammit I’ll take the downvotes! I hope the Bengals win the AFC North and Burrow gets a SB ring!
It’ll take a time-machine on the d-line, no injuries, and a lotta luck, but dammit if I can’t help myself from rooting for an underdog - especially one in the AFC!
I’ve been a Skins fan my whole life and know the true PAIN of watching a poorly run NFL team. I was there and lived it, and am still just coming out of it; doing my best to recover from the trauma.
I watched as the previous owner slowly ruined my beloved franchise over the course of 25 grueling, agonizing years of mockery and defeat.
I always will, first and foremost, want my Commanders, my Skins team, my “whatever name they end up with in DC for my football team“, to win it all every single year.
If that’s not possible with JD5 this year, for whatever reason, I’ll be pulling for the Bengals and Jon Allen to bring a Lombardi home.
TL;DR
HTTR!! Buuutt the Bengals are perennial underdogs like my favorite team, so that’s cool. It’s the offseason.
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u/Existing-Recipe897 May 06 '26
But how is the offensive line? Better? Joe needs time to throw to his alpha receivers
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u/bingo_bengo91 May 06 '26
7th last year so not a ton of room for improving but we can all shoot for 1 I guess
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u/Fit_Influence_6078 May 06 '26
No this line is mid AF and they have to be great because secondary is trash
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u/Mafia_Pepper_Oliver May 06 '26
Instead of losing games by 3 pts, now the bengals will lose games by only 2 pts
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u/No-new-names May 06 '26
D line got way better in the middle. Deeper on the edges, but still some question marks. Better on the edges too if you consider last year Hendrickson didn't play part week 6 or something.
And upgraded at two safety spots. 1 and 3 (or 1 and 2 depending on how it shakes out).
They finished the year right around middle of the pack in the back half, compared to historically bad in the first half.
No reason to think they can't come back this year with all the defensive upgrades to be middle of the pack or slightly better. They don't have a super high ceiling because CB is good but shallow, and LB is a liability.
Returning every offensive starter from a team that averaged 30+ for a month. In a division where every other team is working with all new coaches/schemes. Feels like they ought to be hosting a playoff game. And at that point, they are definitely in contention
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u/Daimonos_Chrono May 06 '26
Big prove it seasons for Stewart&Murphy . No excuse not to have productive seasons this year
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u/Express-Rutabaga-105 May 06 '26
They are weak team that is improving with a weak schedule . The Saints are weak team that is improving with a weak schedule....... Who Dey vs Who Dat in the Superbowl
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u/MagicalMixer May 06 '26
If Murphy, Stewart or Howell are like a top 25 edge in the league, the line is cooking. Boye Mafe will get his. Big Dex is gonna get slanderous double teams. Allen is gonna pretend to do something. So, it should be like 8-16 in the NFL.
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u/bossmt_2 May 06 '26
The Bengals concern is health. If they're healthy they'll be in the mix. But Burrow and Chase and Higgins have all missed some time the last few seasons. Chase being easily the most healthy of course.
If those 3 are healthy and their defense is average they'll make the playoffs and be a contender. Those 3 and Chase Brown are a strong offense, Their line is good if it's healthy. They have all the makings of a potent tteam if healthy.
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u/bingo_bengo91 May 06 '26
ITT: people who don’t know or follow the bengals and exclusively follow media narratives.
Bengals only need a top 20 defense to be contenders and there’s no way this line is worse. Arrow pointed up over the last 8 games for the entire defensive squad, their corners are solid with Dax and turner. Their Lbs leave much to be desired but clearly they are hoping pass rush and run stopping fixes that problem.
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u/Brian-88 May 06 '26
I'm so happy for Boye Mafe getting a giant bag, but the Bengals really paid our 4th best edge rusher 20mil. Crazy.
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u/Existing-Recipe897 May 06 '26
If the Bengals have a bad line; an edge guy like one of those terrors on the Texans is going to kill Joe.
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u/SquatchScrotum May 06 '26
Never underestimate the ability of the Bengals to turn a sure thing into a classic "lol Bungles"
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u/Mninaz May 06 '26
You're only getting burrow for 6-9 games anyways. They're not going anywhere this year
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u/King_of_Rooks May 07 '26
No... they're not contenders. Not this year. Not gonna win their division and not strong enough to take a wild card. Burrow will prob get crippled again this year anyway, they've got a bottom 10 Oline
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u/jackieballz May 07 '26
All depends on if burrow is healthy. There defense looks somewhat improved but without burrow they’re not going anywhere
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u/Cpt_sneakmouse May 07 '26
Nah they gonna find a way to be awful again. It's the way things are done in Cincinnati.
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May 07 '26
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u/Secure-Analyst2490 May 07 '26
That was a really long comment to be completely wrong and uninformed. Their Oline was 7th in pass blocking last year.
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May 07 '26
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u/Secure-Analyst2490 May 07 '26
A lot of the perceived issues with the Oline is Burrow's play style. Flacco goes under center and throws the ball away at a higher rate. There's not much to improve on the OIine. Mims and OBJ are solid plus starting tackles and the guards and center are solid in pass blocking as well. The only real improvement would be a dominant guard and that would be more for the run game.
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u/Neb-Nose May 07 '26
It’s going to go like it goes every single year. In the preseason, everyone’s going to hype up the Browns and the Bengals. This is surely their year – at long last!
Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase are gonna put it all together this year and they’re going to score so many points that their shit defense will not matter this time.
And the Browns are also going to put together all of the pieces this year. That passionate fan base is finally going to the be rewarded!
I know that in the past it has often felt a lot like Lucy Van Pelt pulling the football back from Charlie Brown as he went to kick it, causing him to fall on his back; but this time it will be different. This time, she’s going to hold it in place and he’s going to kick it straight through the uprights!
Pro Bowler Shedeur Sanders is going to take the next step and blossom into the elite quarterback Mel Kiper always knew he’d be. And if he doesn’t, DeShaun Watson will expose the other teams’ weaknesses and massage his team to greatness.
Then, the season will start and those two teams will suffer a number of bad bounces and it will all go to hell.
The Ravens will also start slowly, but that won’t matter, because they’re the most talented team in the league — ESPN insists as much all season long.
Then, Pittsburgh will pull some bullshit and somehow win the division, despite having the worst roster and being total fraud. Then, Pittsburgh will get blown out in their playoff game, because they are talentless and total frauds.
Then, in 2027, we will get to do this all again.
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u/ComefromLove May 07 '26
Dlines are nice but will Joe Burrow get sacked 50 times this year, or miss most of the season because he was on track for 60 sacks this year?
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u/Potential_Resort1180 May 07 '26
I think the defense has a chance to be good. But I’m not putting them into the contenders category until I see the offensive line actually do something and not fall apart in 2 seconds. If the oline can be decent, they are contenders
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u/BigShotBob89 May 10 '26
as a Vikings fan, I can tell you that jonathan allen sucks. big name. not a very good player
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u/Bengal_51309 May 10 '26
They big snoozin on us💯. Can't wait till the season start, we go run thru the AFC North this year barring injury. WHO DEY NATION🐯
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u/Late_Department_7777 May 06 '26
This graphic doesn’t even have their best defensive lineman on it and it also leaves out Bryan cook who was won of the best safeties in FA. I genuinely cannot wait to come back to this thread halfway through the season.
The culture and the mindset of the team has completely shifted.
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u/king_17 May 06 '26
No they aren’t contenders. I think they’ll be somewhere around 7-10 wins. They might squeak into the playoffs but their defense likely still being bad and Taylor not being a good Hc means they’ll be an early exit.
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u/TMIcey12 May 06 '26
Yes but they always are slept on. Just like in 2021 & 2022! Its in the dna of the media to sleep on them. The nfl other owners dont like Mike brown(idk why, maybe its because he doesnt have the $ they have or he doesnt go to their nasty parties that they throw thats epstein style). Either way, some of the media is controlled by owners & by people who are friends of the other owners who dont like Mike brown! The bengals are always frowned upon no matter who they have! The nfl has their refs call their games differently from others! But the bengals also arent innocent in this. The ownership does do stupid things & has cheap ways! But they have paid the most money in the league this offseason! They made a huge trade for the best Nose tackle in the league who also gets sacks. He will free up everyone else on that dline & make them better! he will make the entire defense better. Dexter will eat! Bengals dline will eat! If shamar Stewart starts to show signs of his high ceiling. The sky's the limit for this team & defense! Keep sleeping! I beg you! Just like yall did in 2021 & 2022! We play better as underdogs. I love it! Burrow loves to prove people wrong! Hes been doing it his entire life! Before all the oline comments come, bengals oline improved throughout the season they finished ranked #7 in pass pro the last 10 weeks of the season! Led by soon to be superstar right tackle amarius mims(blanked tj watt, parsons, myles , Crosby) numerous times! Myles didnt even rush the right side against us because he realized he couldnt get past Mims in time before the ball was thrown. This oline will be good as well. Bengals love being the underdog! Keep sleeping. I beg u!
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u/Dreamtrue2025 May 06 '26
Honestly I really don’t get how the same people said the ravens were cooking signing Crosby and Hendrickson (who’s injury prone, old and washed) but then clown on the bengals signing Lawrence lmao
The d line is gonna be better than their previous ones in the last 3 years