2021 was the Cincinnati Bengals’ best chance at winning a Super Bowl, but their window may not have closed just yet.
Heading into the 2022 season, the AFC conference will be stacked with playoff contenders, as the conference houses arguably the top-five quarterbacks in the league.
Count Joe Burrow as one of them.
NFL’s Adam Schein recently listed the teams with the biggest Super Bowl windows in 2022 and included the Bengals in the middle of the pack.
"Burrow’s connection with Ja’Marr Chase is as awe-inspiring at the NFL level as it was in college. Pretty wild. In a pass-obsessed league, Cincinnati has an elite pitch-and-catch combo for the foreseeable future. And it’s not like Chase is a one-man show in the receiving corps; over the final 10 games of the season (including the playoffs), Tee Higgins racked up 954 yards receiving."
Schein also names other key members including Joe Mixon, Trey Hendrickson, and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. The Bengals’ Achilles heel, as everyone knows, is their offensive line, which must be improved this offseason at all costs necessary.
Cincinnati Bengals have a decent second shot at the Super Bowl in 2022
The Bills and Chiefs have the biggest windows, as to be expected, but Schein ranks Cincy over other well-run teams like the Titans and even the Rams.
With one of the youngest and most talented cores in the league, the Bengals are already way ahead of schedule. No one expected them to get this far, just like no one could have foreseen how well Burrow and Chase would work together or how Hendrickson would step up in a huge way this past season.
Given how difficult it is for a team to reach the Super Bowl multiple times, and given how often Joe Burrow may get compared to Dan Marino, Cincy, as with the other listed teams, have no guarantee of reaching the championship again.
That shaky offensive line must change. Zac Taylor must make better decisions. And the Bengals must have a successful offseason.
All that said, the Bengals’ high-powered offense inspires more faith than, say, Tannehill’s quarterback play or the Dallas Cowboys, who have a tendency to melt down in big moments.
Underdogs no more, the Bengals have finally earned a seat at the adult’s table. They belong there as much as anyone else.