In the end, the Bengals couldn’t cover their weaknesses long enough to win Super Bowl 56. An overmatched Cincinnati team, years ahead of their rebuilding schedule, fell two minutes short of winning the franchise’s first NFL title.
It was a disappointing end to an encouraging season. The Bengals, backed by their first playoff wins in three decades, look like more than just a flash in the pan. They’re led by an offense brimming with inexpensive young stars playing way above their experience levels. They also have a boatload of salary cap space to address the issues that ultimately kept them from hosting a championship parade this winter.
Cincinnati has a handful of avenues to shore up its biggest weaknesses before mounting their conference title defense. It has more than $57 million to throw at offensive linemen and defensive backs in free agency—even before accounting for space-creating roster cuts or contract restructuring. It also has its full complement of draft picks and a front office responsible for plucking sensations like Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Logan Wilson from the college ranks the last two years.
Even so, oddsmakers aren’t bullish on the Bengals’ chances of bulking up their roster and making it back to the mountaintop. Cincinnati has +700 odds to win the AFC in 2022 — third-best in the conference — and +1400 odds to win Super Bowl 57, tied for fifth-best in the NFL, per Tipico.
Here’s what owner Mike Brown and head coach Zac Taylor need to do to capitalize on 2021’s momentum and pay off those long odds.