In each of the last two years, the Cincinnati Bengals have struggled to break through after falling well short of the playoff in each campaign.

A major part of their success on the field had been primarily through their dynamic connection in the passing game with Pro Bowl quarterback Andy Dalton and All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Green. With that in mind, head coach Marvin Lewis voiced in a recent interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio that the team needs to get back to that duo leading the charge.

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The Bengals have struggled to re-establish that over that couple of years, especially with Dalton showing some regression in his performance on the field. His lack of consistent play under center hasn't helped the team get back to being a consistent in the playoff picture as his play has given way to some talk that his time in Cincinnati may be up sooner than expected.

That said, this should provide more motivation to help lift the franchise back into postseason contention as Green is still performing at an elite level. He is coming off another productive campaign with 75 catches for 1,078 receiving yards. However, it is a notable step down from his 2015 campaign where he posted 88 catches for 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns. It is something that Lewis is hoping that he can recapture this upcoming season with an increased emphasis to get him involved int he passing game.

The Bengals have had the privilege over the last seven years to possess one of the game's best wide receivers that have been their primary offensive weapon notching more than 1,000 receiving yards all but once and 57 total receiving touchdowns. With a full bill of health heading into his eighth season, it could mark yet another stellar campaign along with Dalton getting back on track that helps lift the team back into playoff contention in the AFC.