Instead of entering a new season with a collection of questions, this Bengals team seems much more stable. Even the new arrivals have adapted quickly, according to Taylor.
“I think you saw a lot of Year 2 development from a lot of guys, Year 2 in the system development, so that’s great to see from all those guys we’re returning that we’ve got high expectations for,” Taylor said. “I thought that the leadership that the new guys have brought in, the free agents that we’ve signed have been tremendous. They’ve picked it up fast, they played a lot of ball so they understand it very well. So I just thought the chemistry, the communication has really stepped up on that side of the ball, and it’s really good to see.”
The biggest questions revolving around the Bengals in recent years have focused on their defense’s inability to do its part, and the health of Burrow. Last season, he encountered yet another medical hurdle that cost him a significant portion of the season, and by the time he returned, it was essentially too late for Burrow to lead an improbable march to the playoffs.
While health is never guaranteed, director of player personnel Duke Tobin appears to have finally answered the other lingering question by aggressively addressing the defense. On paper, the Bengals appear set to finally return to the playoffs and to the level of contention they expected to enjoy after reaching Super Bowl LVI.
Luckily, Super Bowl LXI is in the same place: Los Angeles. We’ll see if the offseason efforts are enough to lead them back to Southern California in February.
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