The hype is going to be insane in Cincinnati this season due to the first overall pick of LSU QB Joe Burrow. Burrow had a storybook senior season in college that ultimately ended in a national championship, and he will look to bring the magic into the Bengals organization. Let’s analyze how their schedule will fare this year.

Last Year’s Record: 2-14

Besides two lone wins against the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns, the Bengals spent the other fourteen weeks watching the opposing team walk off as winners. The season became a lost one extremely fast, and fans became more excited for the draft than the game. With the Andy Dalton era now over in Cincy, the keys are in Joe Burrow’s hands now. How will Burrow handle the pressure of dealing with a young roster that is still growing?

Schedule:

Week 1

vs Los Angeles

Week 2

@ Cleveland

Week 3

@ Philadelphia

Week 4

vs Jacksonville

Week 5

@Baltimore

Week 6

@Indianapolis

Week 7

vs Cleveland

Week 8

vs Tennessee

Week 9

BYE WEEK

Week 10

@Pittsburgh

Week 11

@Washington

Week 12

vs New York

Week 13

@Miami

Week 14

vs Dallas

Week 15

vs Pittsburgh

Week 16

@Houston1

Week 17

vs Baltimore

Most Intriguing Game: Week 13 at Miami Dolphins

This was a very easy choice. In Week 13, the Cincinnati Bengals will travel to Miami to face the Dolphins. It is the first time that Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa will face off in their careers as they both look to become the future of the sport at the quarterback position. With both teams in rebuild mode, this game may have no playoff implications at all, but the fact that these two are squaring off is going to attract many fans to watch this game. The Dolphins have the better roster on paper, but I would not count out the Bengals to win this game, especially if Burrow is playing well.

Most Important Game: Week 1 vs LA Chargers

This game may come as a shock to many, but I believe that the most important game of the Bengals season is Week 1 against the Chargers. For Cincy, wins were few and far between last year (2-14). Imagine the Bengals winning in Week 1 in their home opener and Joe Burrow’s debut. It would be half of their win total from the year before, and would give many young players confidence, which is important for a rebuilding team’s success. On the other hand, if they lose in Week 1, many people will start to think, “here we go again,” even if that is unfair. Either way, Week 1 is the most important game for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020.

Most Important Stretch: Weeks 5-8

From Weeks 5 to 8, the Bengals will play at Baltimore and Indianapolis, and then at home against Cleveland and Tennessee. All four of these teams have a shot at making the playoffs this season, and this is by far the toughest part of the Bengals schedule. The toughest game out of this stretch is on the road at Baltimore, who are arguably the best team in the AFC. If the Bengals can scratch out two wins they’d go into their bye week happy, and three would be cause for celebration. Also, after a Week 10 game in Pittsburgh, the Bengals can take advantage of the weaker part of their schedule until Week 14 where they play Dallas at home. This stretch will be make or break Cincinnati’s success in 2020

Prediction: 5-11

Even with the first pick in Joe Burrow and weapons like WR A.J. Green and RB Joe Mixon, the Bengals are going to struggle in the trenches. I can’t see them beating a team like Baltimore, Tennessee, or Dallas, teams that can dominate a game by running the ball. Cincy should take care of business against teams like Jacksonville and Washington based on the talent they added alone. With a couple of more wins and a split with either Cleveland or Pittsburgh, the Bengals will be an upgrade from last year, but still not good enough to beat any good team consistently.

NFL Schedule according to ESPN

-By: Richie Dordas

Writer

Offseason Outlook: The Bengals Top 5 Needs/Wants

In the offseason, every NFL team has things they want to change, from the bottom of the league, to the playoff players and even the Super Bowl winner. Every year is different and so is every team. So, in the offseason, you have multiple changes such as retired players, free agency and the NFL draft. All those changes mean that before the offseason every team makes a list of needs to help the team and wants for certain coaches/players on their team. Sometimes the needs and wants are the same but often they differ. So, for the next two months, I will be covering all the needs and wants of every NFL team in their draft order for this year. Some will surprise you, while others everyone can see clearly need to happen. Overall, this is a list that will help every team gets a little bit of what they want and need to make a legitimate run to be Super Bowl winners next year. 

Cincinnati Bengals

Wants

1. Improved linebacker play

2. Stability on the offensive line

3. More production from Tight end position

4. More constant defensive line pressure

5. More creativity from the coaching staff

Needs

1. Quarterback

2. Tight End

3. Linebacker

4. Offensive line

5. Wide receiver

Quarterback

The number one item on the Bengals wish list is a new quarterback. Zac Taylor is a young offensive-minded Head coach, and, in this league, you do the copycat of what works. A young offensive-minded coach is paired with a young quarterback he can groom to his liking. Then if you are the team with a number one overall draft pick, you secure the chance to grab possibly the best player available to draft. This year, that player happens to be a young quarterback who just set the college landscape ablaze with one of the best performances in a year. Joe Burrow is the odds-on favorite for the Bengals to pick and for anyone looking for a quarterback, you probably can’t get any better than this guy. Over 50 touchdowns, over 4,000 yards, a Heisman trophy, and a National Champion winner, this guy is something that every team dreams of having.  Luck for the Bengals, they have the chance to get him and can at least give him a good running back, and some pretty fine weapons at receivers. The future with Burrow looks bright for the Bengals. 

Linebacker

If there is one bad thing that plagued the Bengals this past season was the play of the linebacker core. From poor angles in run defense and pass coverage, to way too many missed tackles and whiffs at the ball. The overall linebacker core was a mess from top to bottom. Whether its free agency the draft or one of the current rookies on the team stepping up, this group needs to improve drastically for the defense to improve overall. My best bet is for the Bengals to do a little of all three. They need to sign a reliable veteran, grab a rookie with a lot of potential and have third-round rookie from last Germaine Pratt step up and make some impact on the team. Some great options for a veteran free agent signee include Blake Martinez and Danny Trevathan. Adding these guys will allow them to have a quarterback for the defense and then give them the ability to get speed on the outside. If Germaine Pratt is on the weakside linebacker spot he can use his speed to blitz and play good coverage against tight ends and running backs. The other spot can be manned by one of the rookie linebacker they select. My pick for that would be Patrick Queen. He has shown to be good against the run and has a good instinct for blitzing. His coverage is adequate for now but can improve. You start next year with these guys or a similar lineup and the linebacker core will be very well improved. 

Offensive Line stability

Their second biggest team weakness was the offensive line. They were one of the worst units in the league when it came to run blocking and pass blocking. They only helped averaged 94.8 yards on the ground and didn’t find a real rhyme for run blocking until Week 10. Luckily by that time, the team started rookie Ryan Lindley and wanted to focus more on making sure the rookie wasn’t in a bad spot, which led to a renewed focus on the ground game. Unfortunately, that didn’t help with the fact of the matter when it came to pass blocking.  They gave up 48 sacks on the year and that doesn’t include the number of times, Dalton and Lindley were under duress. When you mix those together, you get a remedy for bad things happening. Luckily, this upcoming year they get back first-round pick Jonah Williams back form injury. Having a good starting left tackle is key and when you add in Michael Jordan and an improved Billy Price, then you have a strong left side to build on. The goal is to finally build upon the right side which was a walk turnstile. If the Bengals can land a talent like Brandon Schereff or Trent Williams, that will go a long way to help to solidify that unit. Add in a guy like Andrew Thomas from this year, and you have the makings of stability. You can stick him at either right guard or right tackle. He would be best suited for guard due to some worries about foot speed, but he can help in the pass and run blocking. You add up a growing left side and some additions to the right side and you have a bright future for the Bengals and possibly starting rookie Joe Burrow and the new offense.

-By: Darren Braxton

Writer/Interviewer

Too Early 2020 NFL MOCK DRAFT 1.0 (1-10)

1.Cincinnati Bengals- Joe Burrow QB (LSU)

The Bengals took Ryan Finley in the 4th round of last years draft. Finley has some upside but most likely isn’t the guy to lead the desperate franchise from Cincinnati. Joe Burrow has become a Heisman favorite as his tiger team has beaten three ranked teams including a huge win in Tuscaloosa that showed the whole world who this kid is. Burrow’s arm strength isn’t Mahomes or Rodgers level but he can make plays with his feet make most throws and has proven he takes care of the football. This season he threw 33 touchdowns while throwing only 4 interceptions. He stands at 6,4” and weighs 216 lbs. Zac Taylor can give some of his talented weapons such as Mixon, Boyd, Green, and Ross some hope by drafting a player like Burrow. 

2.Washington Redskins - Chase Young DE (OHIO STATE)

Dan Snyder has been ridiculed throughout the league for years being incapable of building a team in the nation's capital. The skins get lucky here and select Chase Young the hands-down best player in this years draft class. They now have a decent young core on defense with Sweat, Allen, Young, and Collins. This team is a long way from competing, but this is a step in the right direction. Young is the closest thing we know to a Khalil Mack if you don’t need a QB this year there is no excuse to pass on this buckeye.

3.New York Giants- Andrew Thomas OT (GEORGIA)

Thomas has been in the bulldog starting lineup since his freshman year. The Georgia product is dominating his junior year and is setting himself up to be an early pick in the 2020 draft. His 6,5”, 320-pound frame is ideal for an NFL starting tackle. Thomas has proved to be powerful and quick enough to block for both the run and the pass. His footwork has been very impressive during his time in Athens his only weakness is he tends to get beat with a speed rush on occasions. Nate Solder is the most overpaid player in football and Mike Remmers is just plain horrible. Dave Gettleman needs to keep Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley upright and Thomas will provide another tough nose big body to go along with Zeitler and Hernandez. 

4.Miami Dolphins- Tua Tagovailoa QB (ALABAMA)

The tank for Tua project in Miami is in question after winning a few games. But, Miami lucks out here when the Bengals decide to go with Burrow. There are not many weaknesses when talking about this player. He has the ability to throw on the run maneuver in the pocket and throw absolute strikes downfield. His pocket awareness is also very exceptional. The one worry about Tua is that the injuries are starting to pile up  Tua takes some shots because he is so patient in the pocket, his ankle looked weak in the LSU game which took away his ability to run if he continues to take those hits his bright future in the NFL could be shortened. Brian Flores and the Dolphins have no reason to pass here considering how far they are away from completing a Quarterback is where it all needs to begin. 

5.New York Jets- Tristan Wirfs OT  (IOWA)

The Jets spent their 2019 cap room on weapons for Sam Darnold. But, a case of mono totally derailed the season for this team. The Jets front office went out and bought Le’Veon Bell who was coming off two historically great years in Pittsburgh before he got caught up in a holdout for the 2018 season. Jamison Crowder was also signed to give some help to number fourteen from USC. But, a player like Bell shouldn’t fall off a cliff and that is exactly what happened so far in 2019. He has proved to be ineffective when there are no holes to run through unlike in Pittsburgh where there were gaping holes for Bell to hit early and often in games. The Jets take a versatile tackle here to help boost their offensive line and give their star players a chance to succeed. Wirfs is 6,5” and weighs 322 pounds and is known for being able to play both right and left tackle. Maybe Wirfs presence will decrease the amount of ghosts that float around at Metlife Stadium. 

6.Atlanta Falcons- Jeffrey Okudah CB (OHIO STATE)

The second buckeye taken in the top ten, Okudah is the best all-around corner in this draft. Dan Quinn has struggled this season in Atlanta but the lack of talent on the defensive side of the football prevents him from helping this team reach their full potential. The Falcons have given up 25 points in six games this season. The secondary has been beaten and destroyed by opposing wideouts week in and week out. Okudah’s 6,1” 200-pound build will do wonders for this Atlanta defense and may end up saving Dan Quinn’s job. 

7.Trade (CLE trades w LAC) Los Angeles Chargers- Justin Herbert QB (OREGON)

It is time… The Chargers have had one of the most obscure seasons a team could ask for. A large percentage of analysts predicted the Bolts were making runs to the AFC championship game. This team has shown glimpses of being special all year beating Green Bay by a landslide as Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa flew off the edge but setbacks like the Derwin James injury and the offensive line becoming depleted have taken this team out of contention. Rivers has remained elite at times but has shown this year he is regressing. Herbert can provide a new heartbeat for the Chargers to build on and will be able to sit for a few years as Rivers gives the rest of his career to a franchise that has been built around him for as long as many can remember. Herbert shows similarities that look like a young Philip, a family guy who plays with heart and smooth mechanics don’t be surprised if LA reaches for a QB early.

8.Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Kristian Fulton CB (LSU)

Fulton joins Burrow here as two tigers crack my top ten. Fulton has good length and his superb footwork creates some speed for the Bucs here on the outside. Vernon Hargraves was cut, the former 1st rounder showed lack of effort depleting an already vulnerable Bucs secondary. Tampa needs a guy to take on Michael Thomas, Julio Jones, and DJ Moore in a tough NFC South for many years to come.

9.Denver Broncos- CeeDee Lamb WR (OKLAHOMA)

Denver has found a quality receiver in Courtland Sutton this season who is currently projected to go over 1,000 yards for the first time in his young career. But, the offense still seems boring and non-explosive especially with the trade of Emmanuel Sanders this team is in need of another playmaker. Lamb will provide everything that Sutton doesn't. Lamb will provide the speed and run after the catch ability that was once held by Sanders he will also use his frame to make contested catches everywhere on the field. The route running ability is what really draws the Hopkins comparisons. Whether it is Cam Newton or Drew Lock quarterbacking this team in the future Lamb will make any QB’s job easier.

10.Arizona Cardinals-Isaiah Simmons LINEBACKER/S (CLEMSON)

Arizona’s defense is the main reason for their losing record. It gets torched pretty much every week. They have given up the most passing touchdowns in the league at 25. Kyler Murray and that offense need a playmaker on defense. Simmons versatility changes everything for a weak Cardinal defense. Isaiah has had experience in the slot, back deep playing safety, hanging in coverage as a linebacker, and even rushing off the edge this pick can’t go wrong your getting a good player that can be the band-aid and cover up the wounds on a pathetic defense. The combine should help Isaiah don’t be surprised if he goes even earlier. 

-By: Sam Kirk

Writer/Gamer/Interviewer