The Kansas City Chiefs are the two-time defending Super Bowl champions and they have designs on making it three straight titles. However, there are a number of worthy challengers in the AFC, and teams like the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans would love to unseat them. However, if they can stay healthy, perhaps no AFC team has a better chance than to take the Chiefs down than the Cincinnati Bengals.
That is largely because of the presence of quarterback Joe Burrow. He has led the Bengals to a playoff victory over the Chiefs in the past and he has demonstrated that he thrives when placed in competition with Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The Bengals suffered through a disappointing 9-8 season last year and failed to make the playoffs. That was largely because Burrow suffered through an injury-plagued season. He suffered a calf strain early in training camp and then a wrist injury during the season.
As a result, Burrow was only able to play in 10 games for the Bengals last year and the team's 4-3 stretch run was not good enough to allow the team to play postseason football.
If Burrow can stay healthy this season, an appearance in the postseason is the least that head coach Zac Taylor and Bengals fans should expect.
Bengals have multiple weapons
Burrow will be able to take the field with confidence on an every-week basis. The Bengals have an outstanding group of blockers on the offensive line that are regularly able to protect the quarterback on a consistent basis. Burrow and Taylor expect left tackle Orlando Brown and center Ted Karras to anchor that group of blockers.
When it comes to the wide receiver position, the Bengals have an outstanding 1-2 punch of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase may not be the No. 1 receiver in the league — his former college teammate Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings may hold that unofficial title — but he is very close and could mount an outstanding charge this season. He has good size at 6-0 and 201 pounds, and he has more than enough speed to get past opposing defensive backs and the strength to win the battle at the point of attack.
Chase caught 100 passes for 1,216 yards last year with 7 touchdowns. Chase has exceeded the 1,000-yard mark in each of his three NFL season. He averaged 18.0 yards per reception and scored 13 touchdowns in the 2021 season, and he also had 87-1,046-9 in 2022.
Higgins is coming off a solid season in which he caught 42 passes for 656 yards and 5 touchdowns. Hewill be motivated to put big numbers on the board in 2024 so he can get a significant raise prior to the 2025 season.
Higgins signed a one-year, $21.9 million contract in the offseason, but he is scheduled to be a free agent at the conclusion of the season. Still, Taylor is glad that the team and Higgins were able to come to a short-term agreement.
“I’m excited to move forward with Tee,” Taylor said in a statement. “He’s done a great job handling his situation, and we are happy to get him back in the fold so we can start working toward a great 2024 season.”
In addition to those two receivers, the Bengals have added a pair of free agents in running back Zack Moss and tight end Mike Gesicki. These are two gems on the Cincinnati roster who should be able to make life much easier for Burrow
Bengals will count on Moss and Gesicki
Moss split his time between the Bills and the Colts in 2022 and he established himself with a solid season last year with the Colts. He carried the ball 183 times for 794 yards with 5 touchdowns and a 4.3 yards per carry average. He also caught 27 passes for 192 yards with two more touchdowns.
In addition to being a productive back as a runner and receiver, Moss is an excellent blocker and he should be able to protect Burrow on a consistent basis.
Gesicki comes over from the New England Patriots and the 28-year-old is entering his seventh season in the NFL.
He is hoping that he can repeat the success he had in the 2021 season with the Miami Dolphins. Gesicki caught 73 passes for 780 yards and 2 touchdowns that year. He did not enjoy similar success with the Patriots last year as he was held to 29-244-2.
Still, Gesicki knows how to set up opposing defensive backs and get open, and he should emerge as a consistent weapon in Taylor's offense.
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