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With a Cincinnati Bengals Week 1 game scheduled against the Steelers, a lot of eyes will be on Joe Cool and his vaunted wide receiver corps. The Bengals were the Cinderella team of 2021, and fans are eager to see if they can continue their great play in 2022. Ahead of this Bengals-Steelers game, we’ll be making our Cincinnati Bengals Week 1 predictions.
Last season, the Cincinnati Bengals made an unexpected playoff run. They defeated the Raiders, Titans, and Chiefs in the AFC before succumbing to the Rams in the Super Bowl. It was actually their first Super Bowl appearance since 1988.
That run thrust them into the national limelight, and as such, heightened expectations welcome them in 2022. Right now, if the Bengals fail to reach 10 wins, it would be nothing less than a disaster. That's a far cry from a team that had failed to win more than seven wins a season from 2016 until 2020.
The fact that the Bengals' Week 1 foes are the Pittsburgh Steelers makes things even spicier as the Steelers are largely regarded Cincinnati's main rivals.
If the Bengals can open the season with a win over the Steelers, that would be a great sign for the squad. Remember that Joe Burrow & Co. want to prove that 2021 wasn't just a flash in the pan. Opening with a W would surely be a move in the right direction. Let's now dive into our Bengals Week 1 predictions.
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4. Joe Burrow does not get sacked
The overhauled offensive line has been one of the big themes this offseason for Cincinnati. While fourth-year LOT Jonah Williams continues to guard Burrow's blind side, the other four starters are poised to play in their first regular-season game in Bengal uniforms.
Cincinnati added three key free agents to improve its experience and depth at the o-line. These are RG Alex Cappa from Tampa Bay, ROT La'el Collins from Dallas, and C Ted Karras from New England. Though injuries have restricted their time together during training camp, the trio begins the 2022 season with a total of 236 career games played, including 174 starts. Their experience and expertise will be very important in making sure Burrow won't be sacked 70 times this season as he did in 2021.
All signs point to Burrow's linemen protecting him with aplomb against the Steelers. He should not get sacked even once.
3. Chase and Higgins combine for 150+ yards and 2 TDs
Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are a top ___ wide receiver duo
(📸 @Bengals) pic.twitter.com/rk3plpxkOO
— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) July 30, 2022
In 2021, Ja'Marr Chase averaged 85.6 yards per game and had 13 total touchdown receptions. Out of 17 games played in 2021, he had three contests in which he recorded multiple-TD receptions.
The 22-year-old has improved in training camp, and expect teams to double-team him as they try to prevent deep balls this season. Still, Chase should remain one of the game's top wide receivers in 2022.
Tee Higgins, meanwhile averaged 77.9 yards per game last season on top of six total touchdowns. There were some concerns about his health for Week 1, but he will be ready to go for Sunday's season opener against the Steelers after making a full recovery from the surgery he underwent in March to repair a torn labrum.
Chase and Higgins will be Burrow's top two targets in this game, and they should have no trouble combining for 150+ receiving yards. This high-octane offense should also help Chase and Higgins have a touchdown each as the Bengals flaunt their potent air game.
2. Joe Burrow throws for 280+ yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT
Last year, Joe Burrow averaged 288.2 passing yards per game. He also threw a touchdown pass in 15 of 16 games last season, with 11 of those games including multiple passing TDs.
On the flip side, Burrow was also the most intercepted QB in 2021. He threw INTs in nine games last season, including four with multiple picks.
That won't stop him from going airborne, though. With so much receiving talent around him, Burrow is sure to showcase his passing game. That's even with the Steelers secondary trying to get pick-happy. Remember that aside from Chase and Higgins, the Bengals also have veteran slot WR Tyler Boyd. He had 828 yards and five scores in 2021.
The aforementioned revamped o-line should also help Burrow's confidence grow even more as he opens the 2022 campaign.
The 2021 NFL Comeback Player of the Year did not specify how much weight he dropped while healing from an appendectomy in the 2022 offseason, but he did clarify that adding additional pounds is surely part of the plan.
Keep in mind as well that Burrow did not play in the preseason. The Bengals certainly did not want to rush his recovery and risk an injury in tuneup games.
As things stand, however, all indications point to Burrow being ready for the opening.
“He looks all the way to 100 percent to me,” wide receiver Tee Higgins told SI.com earlier this week. “Same Joe. Just that killer mindset and he's ready to go.”
The “same Joe” should be good enough for 280+ yards, 3 TDs, and (okay) 1 INT in Week 1.
1. Bengals score 40+ points in their opening win
After what took place in Cincinnati last November 2021, the Steelers should be terrified of Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase lining up against them on the field. Recall that the Bengals dropped a season-high 41 points against the Steelers last November 28.
Despite just completing 24 passes for 190 yards in that matchup, Cincinnati scored a ton of points. Joe Mixon, in fact, ran for 165 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers in that contest.
Mixon may still be productive on Sunday, but Burrow and the receiving corps will probably do much more damage.
If Burrow is allowed more time in the pocket to pass, the Bengals' rout may be underway before the teams even enter the locker rooms at halftime.
A blowout win over their divisional rivals should be the best way to begin the 2022 season for the Bengals. It would also do a lot to quell any lingering doubts about whether they can sustain last year's success or not.
