The first game week of the 2019 NFL regular season is here at last. Since we now have all the necessary information to do so, it is time for the Stripe Hype team to predict the record for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Dylan Streibig: 8-8
When I sat down to do this, no way did I think my outlook would be this bright. However, the Bengals have talent on offense. They should put up a lot of points this year. Andy Dalton, Joe Mixon, Tyler Boyd, and A.J. Green when he gets healthy is quite a foursome.
More than anything though, this prediction is schedule based. I am not sold on Lamar Jackson’s ability to learn to throw more accurately at the NFL level. The same can be said when it comes to Cleveland’s mix of personalities on the roster.
Thus, I have the Bengals splitting with those teams. The other six wins will come against Arizona, Buffalo, Miami, San Fransisco, Oakland, and Jacksonville. The Cincinnati defense is still a major area of concern, but these teams don’t have the offensive firepower to exploit it, at least on paper. .500 would be a huge accomplishment for the Bengals this year and it is surprisingly realistic.
Hunter Bittinger: 10-6
It is hard to have such an optimistic outlook. Many national pundits have the Bengals picking in the top five in next year’s draft. However, in 15 of the last 16 seasons, a team that finished last in their division ended up winning it the next season. When you look at the list of last year’s cellar dwellers, the Bengals have arguably the best shot at continuing this statistic.
The Bengals have major issues at offensive line and linebacker. Despite these deficiencies, we have already seen signs of how Zac Taylor will work around them.
He is going to use a lot of two tight end sets to help with blocking and implement a lot of quick throws, something Andy Dalton is already good at. On defense, they are likely to run a lot of nickel, keeping an extra safety or cornerback to help in coverage.
Also, the schedule is kind. They face a lot of young quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, Josh Allen, and Sam Darnold. Even Jimmy Garoppolo is inexperienced. With their defensive line, Cincinnati can cause those quarterbacks to make mistakes.
I think they get past the Steelers this year too. Pittsburgh has lost two players in the top five of their respective positions and that isn’t easy to overcome. In addition, Ben Roethlisberger is older now. There is a chance Cincinnati isn’t even facing him come November due to injury.
Overall, I’m predicting they win games against the young quarterbacks, division rival Steelers, and the tanking Dolphins. However, I think they lose to last year’s powerhouses in the Rams and Patriots, as well as teams with strong defensive lines in the Browns, Seahawks, and Jaguars.
Logi Baker: 9-7
The Bengals kick off the Zac Taylor era with a road victory against a defense that is not going to be as strong as many NFL fans have been accustomed to seeing from Seattle. Even with the addition of Jadeveon Clowney, Zac Taylor picks up the win over his former division rival.
After that, there’s nothing too crazy about this projection. As much as I would love to project new results that lead to a primetime victory in Pittsburgh, history is not in favor of that outcome. However, if history matters, the Bengals will return to their old habits of sweeping the Baltimore Ravens. As mentioned above, there is some doubt over Baltimore’s passing offense.
Also, after a 2015 matchup, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said via the Cincinnati Enquirer, “One of these days, we’ll figure out how to cover A.J. Green,” “It’d be nice if we did it one time before he retires.” Judging off Green’s three touchdown performance last season against Baltimore in primetime, it looks like Father Time might figure out how to stop A.J. Green before the Baltimore Ravens ever do.
Bram Jungnitz: 6-10
The combination of a highly competitive division and the rookie head coach leaves me skeptical that things will fall the Bengals’ way in 2019. Please don’t hate me, but I have the Bengals going 1-5 in the division. The Browns’ roster looks stacked, the Steelers are highly talented in the trenches and Baltimore has a stout defense that could make up for the limitations of an athletic quarterback.
One aspect that could help the Bengals is a schedule that looks favorable on paper. I believe that the AFC East will be the worst division in football this year. However, there are glaring holes on both sides of the ball.
Despite a plethora of offensive weapons, the offensive line and defense will be too much to overcome. The injury to first round pick Jonah Williams hurt bad.
Steve Rivera: 4-12
This may not be a popular opinion, but I believe 2019 will be a defining type of season for the Cincinnati Bengals. To further clarify, it will be the kind of year where hard decisions are brought to the forefront of an NFL franchise desperate for a competitive rebirth.
After a preseason that offered a glimpse of what the Bengals will face in 2019, and a glimpse at who the Bengals may ultimately be, this season could be a tough one in the Queen City. A highly competitive schedule anchored by a gauntlet in the AFC North will find Cincinnati struggling to keep pace. That’s not a bad thing, as it may position the Bengals high in a 2020 NFL Draft that they desperately need to use as a reload.
Ultimately, a significant gap in talent will define who the Cincinnati Bengals are. It is about keeping up with the Joneses. Cincinnati just doesn’t have enough playmakers to be anything other than a sub .500 team who will struggle to keep up over 60 minutes.
Legendary head coach Bill Parcells said you are what your record says you are. In 2016, the Bengals went 6-9-1. In 2017, they went 7-9. In 2018, they went 6-10.
Seeing a trend here?
It doesn’t get better in 2019. However, the upside for the fans is the team will have a top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to rebuild around thanks to a season that goes sideways early.
Alec Hare: 6-10
This season looks bleak for the Bengals. After stringing several injury-riddled seasons together, this season looks to be much of the same. A.J. Green is still in a walking boot, the AFC North looks even tougher this year, and the offensive line and defense are a mess right now. New schemes may help, but only marginally. Tough road games like at the Seahawks dot the schedule. The inaugural post-Marvin season is a new beginning, but it could be a long one.
Larry Spicer: 9-7
I’ll start with the AFC North. The Bengals are not as far behind their division rivals as the national pundits want to believe. This is going to be a tight race to first place for all four teams and I see Cincinnati splitting the division at 3-3.
The Bengals will struggle in Seattle. The opposition and environment are a tall order for the offensive line. However, I do see wins against San Francisco and Buffalo.
I also see wins against the Cardinals, Raiders, Jets and Dolphins to go with losses to the Jaguars, Rams and Patriots in non-divisional matchups
The national media is not giving the Bengals any shot of success this season. However, this team has acquired and developed more talent than they get credit for. Even though a 9-7 record probably isn’t going to make Cincinnati contenders for a Super Bowl, it would make for an exciting first season for Zac Taylor, his staff, and the fans.