Super Bowl LX proved AFC is wide-open for Joe Burrow's Bengals to claim

If there's any solace to be had for Cincinnati Bengals in the wake of Super Bowl LX and a third straight postseason of their team spectating, it's that the AFC is absolutely wide-open in 2026.

Super Bowl Sunday could've marked the start of yet another New England Patriots dynasty. Instead, Drake Maye was baffled by the Seattle Seahawks' phenomenal defense. Nothing his six-time Super Bowl champion offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels called could save him in a 29-13 loss.

Maye's flop underscored just how impressive Burrow's Year 2 run to Super Bowl LVI was. For that reason and many others, the Bengals front office can't afford to botch this offseason.

Believe it or not, the Bengals are poised to roar back to AFC's elite

When your MVP runner-up quarterback is nicknamed "The Schedule" even before face-planting in the Super Bowl, you might not be who you thought you were.

The Patriots’ easy schedule reared its ugly head in Super Bowl LX. They'll face a first-place schedule this coming season, and it's bound to be a tough road ahead. Not that the AFC East division is full of world-beating rosters, but the Buffalo Bills are hanging by a thread, carried by one of the most talented QBs of all-time, Josh Allen.

Maye going to The Big One before Allen shows how rudderless Buffalo is. One would've thought, prior to the Allen era, the most heartbreak a franchise could possibly endure is losing four straight Super Bowls. Squandering so much of Allen's prime and postseason brilliance might sting just as much.

All the psychological scar tissue that Maye's Pats and Allen's Bills must overcome make it feel highly unlikely they'll be in Super Bowl LXI. Plus, it's not like their teams are drafting early, and Buffalo is $7 million in the salary cap red at this time.

Speaking of teams with salary cap deficits, none are worse off than the -$62+ million Kansas City Chiefs.

They've mounted a dynastic run of sorts in recent years, with three Super Bowl wins and two other appearances. However, Travis Kelce has maybe one more season left in him. Stud cornerback Trent McDuffie is a legitimate trade candidate. The only man who can challenge Tom Brady's GOAT status, Patrick Mahomes, is coming off a torn ACL. Kansas City isn't some quick fix away from reascending.

Justin Herbert is supposedly an elite QB, yet his playoff performances for the Los Angeles Chargers leave much to be desired. In his three starts, the Bolts have blown a 27-point lead to lose. He threw four interceptions in another. Herbert has a 54.7% completion rate and a 64.7 passer rating in the playoffs.

A devastating injury to left tackle Rashawn Slater may mean he's never the same. Another major question mark for the Chargers is the loss of defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who's the new Baltimore Ravens head coach.

That brings us to the Bengals' most formidable AFC North nemesis. Two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson is the only other truly elite opposing QB in the conference we haven't covered. Jackson will be learning a new offense, and is coming off an injury-riddled 2025 campaign.

In three of his last five seasons, Lamar has missed four or more games. For someone whose most dangerous weapon is his legs, that doesn't exactly bode well for the future.

Do I even need to get into the Dolphins, Jets, Browns, Titans, or Raiders at length? They're all in major rebuilding mode. Whatever Tennessee or Las Vegas get out of Cam Ward and Fernando Mendoza at the QB position, those teams are a year away from being a year away.

Who else is there to fear in the AFC? The rival Steelers, who could be running it back with Aaron Rodgers as he approaches age 43 in December? The Colts? Nah. Not with Daniel Jones coming off a fractured fibula and a torn Achilles. Maybe the Jaguars? Trevor Lawrence has completed less than 61% of his throws over the last two seasons, though, with one playoff victory in five years as a pro.

I'll get into the one AFC adversary I'm a little wary of in the next section. It's not the Bo Nix-led Denver Broncos. No further explanation necessary.

Don't you see how well this is shaping up for Cincinnati?

Among AFC contenders, the Bengals boast the best combo of QB, cap space, and high draft status

The Bengals own the 10th overall pick, the seventh-most effective cap space, and no elite QB is more due for a fully healthy season than Joe Burrow. The offensive line, provided Dalton Risner returns at right guard, is by far the best unit Burrow has ever had. Running back Chase Brown has helped give the Bengals' offense legitimate balance as a result.

Now, let's talk about the Houston Texans. Their defense is formidable, but C.J. Stroud just choked his way to four interceptions in a Divisional Round loss to New England. In a Stroud-Burrow duel, give me the latter every single day of the week.

As great as the Texans are on defense, Cincinnati is of the few teams with the weapons to match up well with them. Nothing Joe Burrow can’t handle.

Houston lined up in Cover 1, Cover 3, or Cover 4 on 75 percent of their snaps. DeMeco Ryans' crew has a certain arrogance, where they don’t really disguise coverages as often as other teams. They’re just confident they can beat you.

Dialing up really any single-high coverage is asking for trouble against the likes of Burrow, Chase and Higgins when they're attacking downfield.

If the Bengals follow through on their reported ambitions to spend big on defense in free agency, they actually hit on those signings, and can manage a decently-good player with the No. 10 pick, all of a sudden, they're looking pretty darn good on paper.

"On paper" is the key. Hasn't done much good for Cincinnati in the last three years. All I'm saying is, as long as Burrow is healthy, that offensive line is intact, and even the modest of reinforcements are added to the defense, the 2026 Cincinnati Bengals are as well-situated as anyone to take down the paper-tiger Patriots for the AFC crown.