NFL Pundits Continue To Favor Joe Burrow’s Bengals: “Deeply Within The Mix”
LAS VEGAS _ As airy as his open-collar shirt, CBS’s Boomer Esiason greeted the reporters seated at his table with a “What’s up, kids?” before announcing that the Bengals were “the best team in the division when they’re all healthy.”
Applying a liberal application of makeup prior to an NBC appearance, Chris Simms said, “I’d be shocked with what’s been created there and the quarterback and the toughness of the Bengals, I think they’ll be right back in the mix.”
Media mogul and father of FMIA Peter King looked up from his handwritten notes from the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection process last month and said, “The fact these guys figured out a way to get
The Bengals are still the favorite of the punditry class as the NFL heads into the offseason, as evidenced by Tuesday’s drive-by sampling of the national media on Radio Row and in press conferences as it gathered for Sunday’s Super Bowl. They mention Joseph Lee Burrow, coaching, and infrastructure.
The head coach of the Bengals and director of player personnel, Duke Tobin, “has built an impressive program and culture,” according to Ben Volin, an NFL writer for The Boston Globe. “After they played in the Super Bowl, I kind of thought they would fall out, but they have returned just as strong. It truly is a testament to their toughness that they were able to even return to the playoffs. Burrow is at their best if he is well.
Pundits are exactly the same as people in Bengal. With two 1,000-yard games under his belt and 100 yards in this very game two years prior, everyone is curious about what the 49ers will do with free agent Tee Higgins. Esiasion says they have to re-sign him and Volin agrees with the conventional wisdom that they’ll at least give Higgins the franchise tag later this month.
And, everything is predicated on Burrow’s health.
And please, for all of us, fans or not, can the quarterback be healthy in the preseason? posed the question Charles Davis, the CBS No. 2 crew analyst who appeared to be a fixture at Paycor Stadium this past season. He is exempt from participating in a game. All he needs to do is practice. All we’re searching for is that.
However, he added in the same sentence, “Duke Tobin and company make the right decisions for the remainder of it. They’ve developed a solid depth over time. I’m not at all concerned about the Bengals.”
Taylor’s stature has grown both nationally and naturally after he led the Bengals to a 4-3 victory, pushing them to the verge of a third consecutive postseason appearance while backup Jake Browning filled in for Burrow. After Bill Belichick left New England and Mike Vrabel left Tennessee, Taylor is the AFC player with the fifth-most playoff appearances, behind only Andy Reid of Kansas City, Mike Tomlin of Pittsburgh, John Harbaugh of Baltimore, and Sean McDermott of Buffalo.
After Pete Carroll left Seattle, Taylor became the seventh-most successful coach in the history of the
After wrapping up his anchoring of the NFL channel’s “Opening Drive” on Sirius Radio, Bengals safety Solomon Wilcots said, “Coming so close not having Joe Burrow and finishing with a winning season is a testament to their character.” “It’s something to be encouraged about, but they’re not letting off balloons.”
This is due to the fact that Wilcots and another former Bengal in the media, Andrew Whitworth of Amazon, believe the offseason is crucial. While Whitworth considers the need to restock through the draft in light of Burrow’s record contract, Wilcots points to their 1-5 record in the AFC North and the decline in defensive production.
“If you look at the Bengals’ history over the last 20 years, great drafts have determined their runs,” stated Whitworth, who was a part of the franchise-building class of 2006 that also included Domata Peko and Jonathan Joseph. “Not just capable players, but outstanding ones as well.
“Take a look at what we accomplished with players like A.J. Green, Geno Atkins, and Carlos Dunlap from 2011 to 2015 (when they made the playoffs every year). They’re trying to retain as many of those drafts as they can now that Joe has arrived. And then there were those fantastic drafts. Both this and the previous draft must be eliminated.”
According to Wilcots, the team needs to address a number of significant issues in the offseason, including the division record, the team’s slow start to the season, and the defense, which has suddenly developed a tendency to give up big plays.
However, Taylor’s defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo shares the same level of confidence in him around the circuit.
“I still think you’ve got one of the best defensive coordinators in the game,” said Simms. “You’ve got some young guys who contributed this year and played who are going to be better.”
Davis: “Some young guys were in there who needed to pick up the language.” Does Joseph Ossai, an edge rusher, get well and play like he did a few years ago? Can Myles Murphy take that next step (as a rookie)?
