Yes, the Bengals had a relatively fortunate season in terms of injuries. They also got hot at the right time. But the amount of irrational takes and predictions about the team are getting ridiculous at this point.
Anyone who doesn’t have this team finishing at least second in the AFC North is being petty. They might not make it back to the Super Bowl. But to suggest that they are on the verge of collapsing after their run to an AFC Championship is to neglect the nature of roster building in Cincinnati.
Here are some reasons the Bengals will be in contention this year:
Offensive Sustainability - The Bengals have a top-five quarterback now in Joe Burrow.