Stat predictions for the fully loaded Bengals offense
By Aaron Burd
With the new-look Bengals offense now fully loaded, we take a crack at projecting stats for every major contributor.
The NFL Draft is behind us and with it, a new wave of optimism has arisen in Cincinnati. With a new franchise quarterback and revamped positions at wide receiver and linebacker, the outlook for Bengals fans is the highest it has been since 2015.
While we wait for the NFL season to (hopefully) come in the fall, now is a perfect time to predict the stat lines of the Bengals offensive weapons for both new arrivals and long-time veterans.
Quarterback:
Joe Burrow: 366/584 completions/attempts, 62.6% completion percentage, 4,198 passing yards, 28 passings touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 35 sacks, 87 rushing attempts, 297 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns
Ah, Joe Burrow. The golden boy of Cincinnati. The new king of the Queen City. Expectations for Burrow are astronomical among fans and I am here to temper those expectations. Just kidding. I’m all aboard the Heisman trophy winner’s hype train and I expect him to have a great rookie season.
Sure, he’s a rookie. Sure, the offensive line is shoddy. Sure, the Bengals were 2-14 in 2019. Since then, however, the Bengals’ have created a dangerous wide receiver room that is among the best in the league with the addition of second-round pick Tee Higgins and the return from injury of Cincinnati football legend A.J. Green. Additionally, 11th overall pick in the 2019 draft, Jonah Williams, will add much-needed talent to the offensive line that so many are worried about.
With the elite group of weapons at Joe’s disposal, I expect the rookie quarterback to have one of the best rookie seasons in league history. I think that he could set multiple rookie passing records. Yards, completions, and touchdowns could all be records that he comes close to breaking. I currently project that while he will come close to breaking all three, the only one he will successfully beat is Baker Mayfield’s rookie passing touchdown record. Though he may not break the other two, he can sure come close.