AFC Contenders Can't Sleep on Bengals
AFC Contenders Can't Sleep on Bengals originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
It's been a frustrating offseason for Cincinnati Bengals fans wishing that their front office could put one foot in front of the other until they found themselves at a contract extension for edge rusher Trey Hendrickson (or common sense for rookie Shemar Stewart).
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Cincinnati is certainly not immune to criticism. But it's worth remembering the moments before the Bengals were eliminated from contention a season ago. They had won in Week 18, capping off a five-game winning streak to end the season. Before that Sunday's festivities knocked them out of the playoffs, AFC teams and their fans were uneasy.
Cincinnati was the hottest team in football. Quarterback Joe Burrow was playing the best football of his career. And he was so close to bringing that momentum into the playoffs, where a franchise quarterback makes anything possible.
Just about everything on the defensive side of the ball went wrong in 2024, and the offense was hit hard by injuries, too. Things don't need to go great for the Bengals to be poised for a massive rebound in 2025. They merely can't be cataclysmic.
Subsequently, Pro Football Focus ranked Cincinnati as one of the most overlooked teams heading into the new season.
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'One of the biggest stories of the 2025 regular season was the Bengals finding ways to lose games despite continuous heroic efforts from quarterback Joe Burrow,' Dalton Wasserman wrote. 'Burrow ranked second in the NFL in PFF passing grade, but the team's lack of balance around him on both sides of the ball prevented them from making the playoffs.
'Cincinnati lost seven of its 11 one-score games last season. The franchise was realistically only a handful of plays from having one of the best records in the league, even accounting for its plethora of flaws.'
Burrow, once again, will be expected to perform like an MVP. With Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins back (and paid), the sport's most lethal passing-game trio is primed to explode again, especially with a below-average defense.
Cincinnati is due for positive regression, both on defense and in one-score games, which Wasserman noted. Burrow can keep them in any game, and with better luck, he's bound to come out on top more often.
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'The AFC is loaded with contenders who have excellent quarterbacks,' Wasserman concluded. 'Burrow has proven time and again that he can beat any of them, including Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Cincinnati just needs to find him a little more help and execute better in big moments.'
It's easy to see the Bengals in the playoffs in 2025. If fortune truly falls in their favor and they host a playoff game or two, no one would be surprised to see Cincinnati make a run.
Related: Bengals Burrow Warns NFL That He Is Capable of More
Related: Bengals Must Stop 'Distracting' From Contending
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
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Fox Sports
4 hours ago
- Fox Sports
The 10 Best Individual Championship Performances Since 2020
Everyone who plays sports dreams of stepping up on their sport's biggest stage as a kid, hoping to make history en route to a championship. Sam Reinhart got to fulfill that dream on Tuesday night. The Florida Panthers center scored four goals in his team's 5-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday night, helping his team secure back-to-back Stanley Cup titles. Reinhart's four goals matched the most ever scored in a Final game, with five other players scoring that many goals in one since it began in 1914. (It should be noted that Reinhart's last two goals came against an empty net, but both of those goals were outside the Oilers' attacking zone.) As Reinhart and the Panthers celebrate in South Florida, let's take a look at the 10 best individual championship performances since 2020. There are two caveats to this list. The performance had to have come in a series-clinching game (MLB, NBA, NHL) and the player had to have won the title. LSU QB Joe Burrow vs. Clemson (2020 National Championship Game) After an eight-touchdown performance in LSU's semifinal win, Burrow nearly matched that in the national championship game against Clemson. He completed 31 of 49 passes for 463 yards for five touchdowns to go with 58 rushing yards and a rushing score. Burrow actually had to help LSU climb out of an early 10-point deficit against the defending national champs, leading three straight touchdown drives in the second quarter. His 29-yard scamper before halftime highlighted a 95-yard drive that gave the Tigers a 28-17 lead. Burrow then sealed the win with a pair of TD passes in the second half, capping off the best passing season in college football history. Alabama WR DeVonta Smith vs. Ohio State (2021 National Championship Game) The Heisman winner set title game records for receptions (12) and receiving touchdowns (three) — and he did it all in one half. His final grab came in the second quarter, but it was a huge one. Smith ran right past an Ohio State defender while hauling in a 42-yard strike from Mac Jones to give Alabama a 35-17 lead going into halftime. The star wideout suffered a finger injury early in the second half that forced an early exit. But the damage was already done, as he put a bow on one of the best wide receiver seasons in college football history. He finished the game with 215 receiving yards as well, helping Alabama win, 52-24. Milwaukee Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Phoenix Suns (2021 NBA Finals, Game 6) In his first NBA Finals appearance, Antetokounmpo had already dropped multiple 40-point performances heading into Game 6 against the Suns. He also made two big plays in the clutch in the Bucks' Game 4 and 5 wins, getting a game-sealing block in the former and a game-sealing dunk in the latter. Still, the two-time MVP saved his best for last in the 2021 NBA Finals. Antetokounmpo scored 50 points in the Bucks' 105-98 win over the Suns, making 16 of 25 shots from the field and shooting an impressive 17 of 19 from the free-throw line. Thirty-three of those points came in the second half, with Antetokounmpo scoring 13 of the Bucks' final 21 points to help them pull away late. He also had 14 rebounds and five blocks in that game. A day later, Antetokounmpo celebrated the win by ordering 50 chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-A. Atlanta Braves OF Jorge Soler vs. Houston Astros (2021 World Series, Game 6) Soler had already lived up to the billing as a worthy trade deadline acquisition for the Braves before Game 6. He hit 14 homers in 55 regular-season games for Atlanta, and while he was quiet at the plate in the NLDS and NLCS, Soler hit two major homers in Games 1 and 4 of the World Series. His Game 4 home run came as a pinch-hitter, and served as the game-winning run. The slugger had another homer in him for Game 6. With the game scoreless in the third inning, Soler crushed a three-run shot off Astros pitcher Luis Garcia that cleared the train tracks at Minute Maid Park and went 446 feet. Soler walked in his next at-bat and later scored thanks to Freddie Freeman's home run that made it a 5-0 game en route to a 7-0 win for the Braves. Soler went 6-for-20 at the plate in the 2021 World Series, with his homer helping him earn World Series MVP. Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp vs. Cincinnati Bengals (Super Bowl LVI) Kupp arguably had one of the best seasons for a wide receiver in the 2021 regular season, becoming the first player in 16 years to win the receiving triple crown (lead the league in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns). But he arguably saved his best performance for last. The Rams' star receiver had eight receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns in their 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. Kupp's first touchdown came in the second quarter, an 11-yard grab that gave the Rams a 13-3 lead at the time. However, Los Angeles found itself trailing for much of the second half. With Cincinnati holding a 20-16 lead late in the fourth quarter, Kupp rushed for a seven-yard gain on a fourth-and-1 play before grabbing four receptions for 39 yards on Los Angeles' penultimate drive. The final catch was a one-yard touchdown grab that gave the Rams the lead with less than 1:30 remaining. To no surprise, Kupp wound up winning MVP of Super Bowl LVI. Golden State Warriors PG Stephen Curry vs. Boston Celtics (2022 NBA Finals, Game 6) Curry's best performance of the 2022 NBA Finals came in Game 4. He scored 43 points in that game to help the Warriors get a comeback win and prevent them from going down 3-1 in the series against the Celtics. When the series returned to TD Garden two games later, Curry had another stellar performance in him. The Warriors' star went off for 34 points, adding seven rebounds and seven assists. Following one of his six made 3-pointers in that game, Curry sensed that the Warriors were close to capturing another title, pointing at his ring finger. Curry capped off Game 6 by scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter, holding off the Celtics' late rally to lift the Warriors to a 103-90 win. He won his first Finals MVP as a result, averaging 31.2 points per game in the series. Argentina striker Lionel Messi vs. France (2022 World Cup final) The 2022 World Cup final had two performances that could've met this list, but we're only picking winners here. Messi and Kylian Mbappe were arguably the two best players in the world when Argentina and France met in 2022. They certainly played like it, too. Messi opened up the scoring, netting a goal in the 23rd minute. After Argentina took a 2-0 lead late in the first half, Mbappe gave France two necessary goals to send the game to extra time. He scored a penalty kick in the 80th minute before netting a pass from Marcus Thuram. In extra time, it appeared Messi had notched the win for Argentina when he scored in the 108th minute. However, Mbappe scored on another penalty kick in the 118th minute after a handball was called on Argentina. In penalty kicks, Messi and Mbappe each scored in the opening round. But France missed on its next two shots, allowing Argentina to win the penalty kicks, 4-2. Messi won his first World Cup and received the Golden Ball for the tournament, while Mbappe became the second player to ever score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. Boston Celtics F Jayson Tatum vs. Dallas Mavericks (2024 NBA Finals, Game 5) Offensively, Tatum didn't have the best series in the 2024 NBA Finals when the Celtics took a 3-1 lead. But he stepped up in all facets in the Celtics' 106-88 win over the Mavericks in Game 5. He had 16 points and nine assists in the first half to help give his team a 21-point edge. He added to his scoring total in the second half, finishing the game with 31 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds and two steals to help the Celtics seal their 18th title. PSG midfielder Desire Doue vs. Inter Milan (2025 UEFA Champions League Final) Doue proved that he wasn't too young for the big stage in the 2025 UEFA Champions League Final. The then-19-year-old midfielder scored two goals in PSG's 5-0 win over Inter Milan in May, with the brace giving his side a 3-0 lead by the 63rd minute. As he won man of the match, Doue became the youngest player to ever score a brace in a UEFA Champions League Final. He also became the second player to ever score a goal and dish out an assist in a UEFA Champions League Final. Florida Panthers C Sam Reinhart vs. Edmonton Oilers (2025 Stanley Cup Final, Game 6) Reinhart joined a group of select few with his four-goal performance in Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. He became the sixth player to score four goals in a Stanley Cup Final game, the first to do so since 1957. He also became just the second player to score four goals in a series-clinching Stanley Cup Final game, and the first player to do so since 1922. The four goals Reinhart scored in Game 6 gave him seven in the series. Not only was that the most in the series, but it was also the most in a Stanley Cup Final since Wayne Gretzky scored seven goals in the Oilers' 1985 series win. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. recommended Get more from National Hockey League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
New York Times
5 hours ago
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AFC North 2025 preview, plus examining Bengals rookie holdout
Inside: Key questions, breakout players and positions to watch in the AFC North, plus a look at the Bengals rookie holdout situation. This article is from Scoop City, The Athletic's NFL newsletter. Sign up here to receive it directly in your inbox. Would you be surprised to learn that the Browns have never won this division? Over 35 years have passed since Cleveland last won any division, the longest active streak in the NFL. (And the longest streak in league history, I believe. I won't confirm for the sake of Browns fans). The team's four quarterbacks are unlikely to change that in 2025. Since the AFC North was realigned in 2002, the Steelers lead the way with nine division titles. Baltimore has eight, including last season's, while the Bengals have six. Here's how they finished in 2024: Our latest 2025 division preview covers a group defined by their quarterbacks, for better or worse. (BetMGM's 2025 regular-season win totals in parentheses.) 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Longtime coordinator Lou Anarumo was the scapegoat after the team lost six games in which they scored at least 25 points — tied for the most such losses by any team since 2000. The Bengals turned to new DC Al Golden, who helped build Notre Dame's defense into one of college football's best and focused his first draft on defense. Position to watch: Pass rush. Golden's tenure may begin without both the Bengals' best defensive player, the holding-out Trey Hendrickson, and their most promising young replacement, Shemar Stewart (more to come). Former first-round edge Myles Murphy hasn't impressed despite the extra reps, which makes former third-rounder Joseph Ossai, who had five sacks in the final seven games of 2024, one to monitor. Advertisement Breakout player: WR Jermaine Burton. The first-round talent fell to the third round of 2024's draft due to character concerns that materialized in year one. Burton missed meetings, practices and a road trip, finishing with four receptions for 107 yards. Total. He's on thin ice, but so far this time around, Paul Dehner Jr. has spotted the 23-year-old at the facility each day. He'd be an ideal WR3 in this pass-first offense. Better than 2024? Depends on their start. Joe Burrow's emphasizing a strong start for a team that started 1-4 last season, 1-3 in 2023 and 1-2 in 2022. If Cincinnati can translate their late-season success — they won five straight to close 2024 — and improve their defense, this is a dangerous team come playoff time. Key question: Can Aaron Rodgers return to form? I'm skeptical, just as I was when Pittsburgh signed Russell Wilson last offseason. But Rodgers told his new teammates he is all in, with his delayed signing likely related to what he said on the 'The Joe Rogan Experience' (that several people in his inner circle are battling cancer). He had moments in New York that make me believe that if the 41-year-old can stay healthy, there's a chance Pittsburgh gets the quarterback play they need. Here's one of his first passes to D.K. Metcalf, a pairing that OC Arthur Smith plans to build an offense around. Aaron Rodgers to DK Metcalf for one of the first times ever in Steelers uniforms: — Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) June 10, 2025 Position to watch: Running back. Rookie third-round pick RB Kaleb Johnson is an ideal fit for Smith's outside zone scheme, while Jaylen Warren could see an expanded role — he took a majority of the team's snaps in their playoff game — while continuing to dominate third downs. Their pairing should help Pittsburgh's run game add an explosive element missing with Najee Harris, whose longest career carry is 37 yards. Advertisement Breakout player: TE Pat Freiermuth. Everyone's searching for the Steelers' No. 2 receiver. Here he is. He actually ended 2024 as their No. 1 target, leading the team in every receiving category during the season's second-half (targets, receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns). Rodgers could help Freiermuth elevate to elite status, so long as Jonnu Smith, reportedly a potential addition, remains in Miami. Better than 2024? Yes. Their win total (8.5) suggests decline from last year's 10-7 finish, but assuming they reach an agreement with holdout T.J. Watt, this defense should be better than it was for last season's 10-win team thanks to multiple personnel additions and schematic changes. On offense, Johnson is more suited to Smith's offense than Najee Harris was, Metcalf offers a more reliable option than George Pickens and Rodgers should be an upgrade at quarterback. Still, expecting anything other than the Mike Tomlin special — 10-7 and a first-round exit — is risky. Key question: How early is this team drafting in 2026? While the QB foursome of Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders makes steady progress, the odds any of them start for Cleveland again after this season are the same as my golfing foursome finishing the day under par. Thankfully, next year's class appears loaded at quarterback, and the Browns have two first-round picks. Position to watch: Tight end. With HC Kevin Stefanski calling plays again, their offense is expected to revert to what worked — two-tight-end sets with a wide zone run game. That should position contract-year tight end David Njoku as the No. 2 option in the passing game, with beat reporter Zac Jackson writing, 'A healthy Njoku could easily surpass 100 targets this season.' Breakout player: WR Cedric Tillman. After Amari Cooper was traded, Tillman dominated in the full time X receiver role. He averaged 10 targets, 8 receptions and 75 yards across four games before his season ended early with a concussion. The 2023 third-round pick is an ideal fantasy sleeper, with his only notable competition for the WR2 role being Diontae Johnson, who is on his fifth team in two seasons. Better than 2024? Yes, by default. It's difficult for a team that won three games to be worse than the 2024 Browns. Stefanski's return to a run-first offense with talented rookie runners Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson, together with the steady Flacco at quarterback, should help Cleveland improve despite the league's second-toughest schedule. These days, contract-related stories are typically limited to veterans like Trey Hendrickson, T.J. Watt and Terry McLaurin, as they hold out for what might be their final big-money deals. That common practice once included rookies, particularly first-round picks. For instance, Michael Crabtree skipped an entire offseason and the first month of the regular season until the 49ers caved, and John Elway told the Colts he'd rather play baseball. Advertisement The rookie wage scale was introduced in 2011 to remove the leverage highly drafted prospects had over their new franchises. To accomplish that, the league fixed rookie salaries to non-negotiable, four-year contracts based on a player's draft position (teams also have fifth-year options for first-round picks). It worked, mostly. The number of rookie holdouts plummeted, though as The Athletic's Jayna Bardahl and Paul Dehner Jr. wrote, these holdouts still happen. Their story explains the kind of minutiae still causing holdouts: 'In 2018, Bears rookie Roquan Smith missed the first two preseason games amid a dispute over a new rule penalizing players who used their helmets to initiate a hit. He eventually signed a contract that protected his guaranteed money if he were to be suspended by the league for an illegal helmet hit.' This time around, Shemar Stewart, the Bengals' No. 17 pick, recently left the team's mandatory minicamp, discontented with the fine print in his contract. Two perspectives: Paul explained more in his deep dive into the situation, adding that the difference between Stewart and his peers who were offered the same language is that the others have signed practice waivers, which protects them in the event of injuries suffered in practice prior to signing an actual contract. Demetrius Knight Jr., the Bengals' currently unsigned second-round pick, signed the waiver and is shining in camp. Stewart declined the waiver, choosing instead to sit out and speak up: 'I'm not asking for nothing y'all have never done before,' Stewart said to reporters, though it was directed at the Bengals front office. 'But in y'all case, y'all just want to win arguments (more) than winning more games.' The rookie edge rusher's discontent is part of an ongoing theme for the Bengals management, whom I implore to Google 'win-win negotiation.' Trending: Justin Reid bested Kyler Murray in the NFL's chess tournament. Most-clicked: Michael Silver's report on the Chiefs offensive line overhaul as Mahomes turns 30. 📫 Enjoyed this read? Sign up here to receive The Athletic's free daily NFL newsletter in your inbox. Also, check out our other newsletters.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bengals Burrow Warns NFL That He Is Capable of More
Bengals Burrow Warns NFL That He Is Capable of More originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Cincinnati Bengals are not satisfied with their 9-8 record and absence from playoff contention last year. Even star quarterback Joe Burrow - who had a career-best season statistically - feels he can do better. Advertisement As the Bengals wrapped up OTAs and minicamp, Burrow heads into the break with a growth mindset for training camp, focusing on the, apparently many, areas he can improve. "There's room to improve in every area," Burrow said to broadcaster Dan Hoard. "Movement, accuracy, spin rate, bigger, faster, stronger – all of those good things." Last season, Who Dey faithful still saw a lot of good things from their dynamic duo of Burrow and receiver Ja'Marr Chase. Burrow led the NFL in passing yards (4,918) and touchdowns (43) on a wildly efficient 70 percent completion. Chase became just the 13th receiver ever to accomplish the "triple crown" by leading the league in all three major categories, receptions (127), yards (1,708) and touchdowns (17). Advertisement In the end, of course, it wasn't good enough. Cincinnati went on a five-game win streak to close out the season, but still barely finished above .500 and missed the playoffs. For a tandem like Burrow and Chase who have made a Super Bowl once before, there is no season that will satisfy their hunger unless it ends with the Lombardi Trophy in arms. Burrow, now 28 years old, is entering sixth season in the league and believes he still has a lot to prove in a tough AFC North. With this mindset and a loaded offense at his disposal, Burrow is capable of putting last year's disappointing mark behind him. Advertisement This should be taken as a warning to the rest of the NFL. If the league's most productive and efficient quarterback believes he can up his accuracy and versatility? Defenses are in trouble. If he can continue his upward trajectory, Bengals fans should see "all those good things" even more this season. According to Burrow's last Instagram post, that breakthrough will be "coming soon". Related: Bengals 2025 Training Camp Dates Announced This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
