Where do Bengals rank among teams likely to win first Super Bowl?
Where do Bengals rank among teams likely to win first Super Bowl?
The Cincinnati Bengals enter the 2025 NFL season as one of 12 teams yet to win a Super Bowl.
When it comes to actually ranking those teams by their chances to win a Lombardi Trophy, things get tricky after rattling off the first few names. Franchises like the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers, at least as of this writing, round out the very bottom of the list.
But how far up the list do the Bengals deserve to sit? For CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin, the answer is third overall:
"Not even Joe Burrow's MVP-level passing production could get the Bengals into the playoffs last time around, which is real cause for concern. But the defense can't be much worse with Al Golden now atop that staff, and we won't have contract drama surrounding Ja'Marr Chase or Tee Higgins going into September. If somehow Zac Taylor can get his team ready to roll out of the gate rather than halfway through the year, the Bengals should return to form as a challenger to the AFC powerhouses."
RELATED: Bengals UDFA is already turning heads at OTAs
That ranking going into the 2025 season puts the Bengals only behind the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills. Both of those teams have more well-rounded rosters and the latter happens to roster MVP Josh Allen.
Behind the Bengals, other AFC hopefuls like the Houston Texans and Los Angeles Chargers are right on their heels.
Given this fair outlook, it's all the more understandable why fans and the team were so upset about last year's close call -- and why head coach Zac Taylor changed up his coaching staff going into this season.
RELATED: Cincinnati Bengals players missing OTAs list ahead of training camp
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