Figure out how to beat the Steelers
The biggest monkey on the Bengals’ back is their most hated rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have had a rough go of it lately against their divisional rivals, going 18-3 against them throughout the 2010s. The last time they won against the Steelers was midway through the 2015 season. In order to make the playoffs in 2020, the Bengals MUST figure out how to break their streak of misfortunes against Pittsburgh.
The Bengals find themselves in what might be the best division in football alongside the Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Cleveland Browns. In order to gain enough wins to make the playoffs, they will have to win at least three divisional games.
The Ravens may just be the best team in the NFL, so there are no guarantees against their Lamar Jackson led opponents. The Browns have an elite group of weapons with a quarterback who should return to the form of his impressive rookie season in Baker Mayfield. The Steelers may just be the weakest of the Bengals’ divisional rivals, therefore, Zac Taylor will have to figure out how to buck the trend and get a win or two against Pittsburgh.
Cincinnati certainly has the roster for it. The Steelers don’t have particularly strong offensive weapons and the Bengals have the pieces to win in a shootout. Unfortunately for them, they have struggled to play the Steelers throughout the years, even at times when they had a better roster.
Mike Tomlin and his coaching staff just seem to have Cincinnati pegged. However, with an improved roster from head coach Taylor’s first year, the young offensive-minded coach could just figure out the recipe to take down their enemies in Pittsburgh. That will be the final piece of the puzzle for the Bengals to make the playoffs in the upcoming season.