10 Bold Predictions for the Bengals’ Season in 2020
By Aaron Burd
Cincinnati will be in the playoff hunt as late as Week 16
More important than breakout players and statistical achievements, the one thing that matters more than anything is getting to the playoffs and winning a Super Bowl. Aside from the most optimistic fans, no one expects the Bengals to be in that conversation. While I expect them to fall short in the end, I predict the Bengals will find themselves still in the hunt all the way into Week 16.
Cincinnati has improved at so many different areas over the offseason, quarterback, wide receiver, defensive line, linebacker, and secondary, that they will inevitably be better than their 2-14 season in 2019. With eight games against teams coming off of losing seasons in 2019, the improved Bengals have a good opportunity to win games. The major keys to winning games will be Joe Burrow’s play as a rookie and Zac Taylor‘s improvement as a second-year coach.
If Burrow can perform expectations and Taylor can prove 2019 was an outlier, the Bengals will be a very competitive team. One good sign for the young head coach is the support he got from players even throughout a pitiful 2-14 season. Players never gave up on him, even as the losses and deficits racked up, they continued to fight for wins and vocally support him. The support he was given by players during even the roughest of times gives reason for optimism about his future.
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With an improvement in Taylor’s coaching in 2020, Cincinnati should find themselves winning a lot more games. I predict the Bengals go into Week 16 with seven wins, needing two more to have a winning record and sneak into the seventh seed of the playoffs. The problem for them is that their last two opponents just happen to be the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens, two incredibly tough teams to end the season against. They won’t be able to pull out wins against either of the two teams, ending the year with a 7-9 record. While this won’t be the end result they were hoping for, I can confidently say the Bengals will be able to leave the 2020 season with optimism for the years to come.