The Cincinnati Bengals came up just short in their quest to return to the Super Bowl for the second straight season, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game by a score of 23-20. It was a crushing way for the Bengals season to end, especially considering how good they looked heading into this game.
The Bengals succeeded in proving that their run to Super Bowl LVI last season wasn't a fluke, but it looks like their dominance over the Chiefs may have finally come to an end. Now they will enter the offseason with some big questions, and how they answer these questions could determine whether they are back in the AFC Championship Game game again next season.
There are a couple of key fixes the Bengals will need to make to ensure their roster stays in tip-top shape, and that will be their primary objective entering the offseason. So with that in mind, let's take a look at the two major offseason fixes the Bengals need to make in order to find their way back to the Super Bowl in 2024 and come out victorious this time around.
2. Find a way to get more out of their offensive line
The Bengals made some big moves to shore up their offensive line last offseason after Joe Burrow spent most of the playoffs getting sacked, and for the most part, they managed to become a strong group for Cincinnati. The problem is that the o-line faltered at the worst possible time against the Chiefs after such a dominant outing against the Buffalo Bills, and it's clear improvements are still needed.
Now first, it's worth noting that both Jonah Williams and Alex Cappa were forced to miss this game, which wasn't exactly helpful for the Bengals in this game. But still, the Bengals let Burrow get sacked five times in this game, and only managed to pick up 71 total rushing yards on the day. The Chiefs managed to win this game at the line of scrimmage all day long unfortunately.
Going out and signing more offensive linemen isn't necessarily needed, although reinforcing their depth is obviously a huge need as we just saw. Maybe it's time to move on from offensive line coach and run game coordinator Frank Pollack. Pollack has a wealth of experience, but it feels like the Bengals need to get more consistency from their ground game if they want to become a championship team.
Of course, part of that falls on the team's under-utilization of Joe Mixon, but the offensive line doesn't give him a ton of help either. Mixon turned his eight carries into 19 yards, and while he needs more touches, it's tough when he's getting blown up at the line of scrimmage on most plays. Whatever the solution may be, it's clear the offensive line came up short against the Chiefs, and for that reason, fixes are going to have to be made to this unit throughout the offseason.
1. Revamp the secondary, particularly the cornerback room
The Bengals have a strong defense, but it's clear that their secondary is becoming increasingly pieced together, and that hurt them mightily against the Chiefs. Kansas City relied heavily on their short passing game with Patrick Mahomes dealing with a high ankle sprain, and the Bengals secondary wasn't good enough to prevent plays from happening with their pass rush struggling to get to Mahomes.
Cincinnati was dealt a crushing blow when their top cornerback, Chidobe Awuzie, tore his ACL all the way back in Week 8 of the season. That forced them to rely heavily on Eli Apple and Cam Taylor-Britt at cornerback. Both guys held their own for the most part, but Apple isn't good enough to be the top cornerback in a defense unfortunately.
Maybe Awuzie comes back and fixes this issue on his own, but it's also worth noting that the Bengals now have to deal with the contract situation of Jessie Bates III again. The team placed the franchise tag on Bates after failing to extend him last offseason, and he reluctantly agreed to the tag. But now, they have to cross that bridge again, and there's a decent chance he won't be sticking around this offseason.
The Bengals could potentially pull off a trade involving Tee Higgins in order to sign Bates to a long-term extension, as there have been rumors swirling that Higgins could be on the move, but regardless of what happens there, it's clear the cornerback room needs some help this offseason. Whether it be signing someone in free agency, making a trade, or using a high draft pick, help is needed here, and if the Bengals can't shore up their secondary, they may find themselves in the same position they are in right now next season.
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