We're only one game into the new NFL season, but the Cincinnati Bengals' annual trend of slow starts has finally slowed — at least in terms of the win-loss columns.
A 17-16 win in the AFC North over the Cleveland Browns finally gets the Bengals off on the right foot for the first time since their Super Bowl LVI run season in 2021. The issue is, the Browns missed an extra point and close-range field goal to basically gift Cincinnati a victory on a day where Joe Burrow and the offense struggled mightily.
At least it seems like Burrow and his unit can only improve from here. Couple that with a defense that wildly exceeded expectations, and I guess it's not too outlandish to regard the Bengals among the NFL's elite despite a somewhat unconvincing victory over an opponent in the throes of a rebuild.
FanSided slides Bengals into top 10 of NFL power rankings
Our NFL staff's own Lou Scatagila posted some Week 2 NFL power rankings on Monday, in advance of the first-slate finale between the Bears and Vikings tonight.
Given Lou's Broncos fandom, I was surprised to see the Bengals ranked ninth — only one spot behind Denver. It seems Lou knows ball. Here's what he had to say about Cincinnati's outlook:
"The Cincinnati Bengals winning a Week 1 game could bode well for their chances that things actually change for the better. The Bengals did get outplayed in this game, so that’s important to note, but they closed it out, and good teams are able to find ways to win even when most things do not go their way. Joe Burrow and the offense weren’t all that great in this one, but both sides of the ball simply made enough plays, and the Bengals being 1-0 is something we have not seen in a little while."
NFL power rankings can change so much in a single week. Especially at this early point in the season, I'm not going to overreact to any big praise or harsh criticism the Bengals field. That said, I think the analysis is pretty bang-on here in terms of the bigger-picture view.
Cincinnati found ways to lose for most of 2024. A five-game winning streak to close the season only got their record to 9-8, and caused them to miss out on the playoffs by a single win. Just such a bummer. A waste of an MVP-caliber season from Burrow, for one.
The major issue last season was the defense, though, and the Bengals appear to have shored up that unit for at least one week. Jordan Battle and DJ Turner made crucial interceptions, and the offense, while an eyesore to look at in the second half, didn't turn the ball over to make life easier on the Browns.
Week 2 marks the home opener for the Bengals against the Jacksonville Jaguars. They're fresh off a 26-10 romp over the Carolina Panthers. Whereas Cincinnati has a lot of continuity, Jacksonville is still breaking in new head coach/offensive play-caller Liam Coen.
Given how well the Bengals' defense answered the bell on the road in Cleveland, I expect defensive coordinator Al Golden to dial up some exotic calls and confuse Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence more than a few times. All that should lead to another turnover margin edge for the home team, quite probably a 2-0 record, and very possibly an even bigger climb in the NFL power rankings next week.
My initial forecast for the Bengals' first five games featured a 24-20 Bengals win in Week 1, followed by a 34-27 shootout at Paycor Stadium. Got pretty close to the final score the opener. Let's see how I fare this time around.