In 2022 the Bengals proved that their Super Bowl appearance the year before was no fluke. Though they weren’t able to make it past the eventual champion Chiefs in the AFC Championship, they finished the regular season with 12 wins. This marked the first time they’d hit that number since 1988. In a short period under Zac Taylor and with Joe Burrow under center, Cincinnati have quickly established themselves as one of the true AFC powerhouses.
Roster changes
The Bengals didn’t make a tonne of moves in free agency, but their acquisition of Orlando Brown is noteworthy. The former Raven and Chief has been much-maligned over the last few seasons thanks to his issues in pass protection, but he nevertheless provides the Bengals with a valuable upgrade at left tackle at a reasonable $16 million per annum. They also landed a couple of potential cost-effective starters with Irv Smith at tight end and Nick Scott at safety.
There were some pretty significant departures though, with four starters moving on. Safety duo Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell both left, vacating over 2,000 combined snaps from the 2022 season. The secondary also lost the ever-controversial Eli Apple, who led the team with eight pass breakups in 2022. On offense they said goodbye to tight end Hayden Hurst and backup running back Samaje Perine.
Coaching situation
Unlike a lot of top teams, the Bengals benefit from a remarkable level of stability in their coaching staff. Zac Taylor is entering his fifth season as head coach, and in a rare example of continuity, the entire staff on both sides of the ball have returned for 2023.
The fact that they were able to retain both of their coordinators should not go unnoticed. Both Brian Callahan and Lou Anarumo have been talked about as potential NFL head coaches, so keeping them in Cincinnati for another season is a huge win as far as the Bengals are concerned.
2023 NFL Draft
| Pick | Player |
| 1.28 | Myles Murphy – EDGE, Clemson |
| 2.60 | DJ Turner – CB, Michigan |
| 3.95 | Jordan Battle – S, Alabama |
| 4.131 | Charlie Jones – WR, Purdue |
| 5.163 | Chase Brown – RB, Illinois |
| 6.206 | Andrei Iosivas – WR, Princeton |
| 6.217 | Brad Robbins – P, Michigan |
| 7.246 | DJ Ivey – CB, Miami |
The Bengals found the perfect blend of studs and exciting developmental prospects in this draft class. Myles Murphy gives them a talented edge rusher with the dream combination of size, power, and athleticism. Their next two picks provided some depth in the secondary to replace their departures, with DJ Turner and Jordan Battle both competing for starting spots as rookies. Keep an eye on Charlie Jones and Chase Brown too, who could be the long-term successors to Tyler Boyd and Joe Mixon respectively.
Offense
What is most scary about the Bengals’ offense heading into 2023 is their continuity. They have ranked amongst the most potent offenses over the last two seasons and all of their big names are back for 2023. At the center of that is obviously Joe Burrow, who had the seventh highest big-time throw rate in football last season whilst also having the fourth lowest turnover-worthy play rate.
The Bengals also once again boast the clear cut best wide receiver trio in football. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are both coming off the back of 1,000+ yard seasons, whilst Tyler Boyd had the fifth most yardage of any receiver in the slot last season. What most won’t realise is that in 2022 their running game became almost as effective. Their willingness to diversify their run concepts and incorporate more gap scheme runs paid dividends, with the team ranking second in rushing DVOA, behind only the Eagles.
If there is a worry it is once again going to be their offensive line. Orlando Brown will help their running game, but pass protection is still a concern. Brown and right tackle Jonah Williams ranked fourth and seventh in pressures allowed in 2022. Burrow did a fantastic job of mitigating pressure last season by getting the ball out incredibly quickly, but this came at the expense of their deep game. His deep passing rate fell from 11th in 2021 to 38th in 2022, below the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo and Joe Flacco. If they are going to make it all the way this season they will need their offensive line to step up in big moments.
Defense
The Bengals’ star-studded offense naturally draws most of the attention, but sleep on this defense at your own risk. Lou Anarumo has turned this unit into one of the most consistent in the NFL (they ranked fourth in Football Outsiders’ Variance metric in 2022) despite lacking a true household name at any position. Last season they ranked inside the top ten in both points per drive and drive success rate for the second consecutive season.
Their biggest strength is definitely their defensive line. DJ Reader is well and truly amongst the best defensive tackles in football. Trey Hendrickson continues to be one of the more underrated pass rushers in the game, with his 137 pressures over the last two years putting him ahead of the likes of Haason Reddick and Brian Burns. Sam Hubbard is a solid complementary option and they now have 2023 first round pick Myles Murphy waiting in the wings.
The concern here is their re-modelled secondary. Slot corner Mike Hilton is the only projected starter to have played more than 60% of snaps in 2022. Chidobe Awuzie is on his way back from a torn ACL, whilst we will see a brand new starting safety tandem from Week 1. They will need this group to gel quickly in order for them to keep pace with the rest of the AFC royalty.
Prediction
In January, Joe Burrow confidently claimed that the Bengals are in a Super Bowl window as long as he is there. He’s right, and this looks to once again be one of the best rosters in the AFC. They are deserved front-runners in a strong AFC North and should go far in the postseason.
