The 2023 Season was a wash for the Cincinnati Bengals. Joe Burrow missed significant time in both training camp and the season, and the Bengals struggled without him. It’s no secret that any team will struggle without their franchise QB, and the Bengals are no exception. How can the Bengals return to the AFC Championship, and, more importantly, the Super Bowl? Here’s five keys that may just help them make that happen.
Bengals 5 Keys to Success
- We’ll start with the most obvious of all the keys, and that is staying healthy. Joe Burrow has missed a portion of both the 2020 and 2023 season due to season-ending injuries. In 2021, Burrow’s first fully healthy season, the Bengals lit up the league. Burrow threw for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns. Ja’Marr Chase pulled down 81 catches for 1,477 yards and 13 touchdowns. Even Chase has missed some games in his Bengals tenure due to various injuries. It’s no secret that if those two are healthy, the Bengals offense becomes one of the best in the league. In 2022, Burrow threw for 4,475 and 35 scores. The common denominator in both seasons? The Bengals made the Super Bowl, or the AFC Championship. If the offensive pieces remain healthy, the Bengals will be in business.
- The second key on the list is establishing the run. To have any continued success on offense in this league, you have to have a run game. The Joe Mixon era has come and gone, as the long-time Bengal signed with Houston in the off-season. Zack Moss and Chase Brown are to share the load at the running back position. While that’s all fine and dandy, Moss and Brown have to prove they can be a threat on the ground for this Bengals team. The running back corps recently rated 30th out of 32 teams. Without any significant help from the run game, Joe Burrow will be relied on to carry this team with his arm, which is possible, but it surely doesn’t help.
- Next on the list of keys is winning on third down. After ranking 23rd in the NFL on third down in 2023, the Bengals need to step it up in 2024. The 2023 season saw them allow a whopping 41% third down conversion rate. Some of that had to do with personnel, but some of it had to do with wrong place, wrong time. The Bengals have to be better about getting off the field on third down, and getting the ball back to Burrow and the offense. If Cincy can get back into the top half of the league on third down, that’ll buy more chances to score.
- Fourth on the list is protecting the QB. This is an obvious point, but one to be reiterated for the Bengals. The Bengals have spent a lot of money on the offensive line, but Burrow remains one of the most sacked QBs in football. Since 2020, Burrow is the second most sacked QB with 148 times. If the Bengals want to accomplish key number one, it starts with keeping Burrow upright in the pocket. Even though the Bengals QB has a knack for being mobile within the pocket and extending plays, it’ll make everyone feel a little bit better if our $40 million guy isn’t running for his life.
- The final key here is simple, win the turnover battle. When the Bengals win the turnover battle, they’ve been particularly good, as is the case for most teams. For example, the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers have been especially good at forcing turnovers. The reason those two teams are some of the highest scoring teams in football is because gathering interceptions and fumbles allows their offense more opportunities. This will allow the the team to be able to put more points on the board, essentially winning more games. As the old adage goes, “Defense wins Championships”.