04-13-2017, 04:03 PM
(04-12-2017, 01:19 PM)depthchart Wrote: Simply getting healthier and improving may not be enough for the Bengals in 2017.
Competition for Wildcards in the AFC should get tougher with what I see as at least 10 teams seriously competing with the Bengals for 6 total AFC Playoff spots.
The Patriots, Steelers, Texans, Raiders, Chiefs, Broncos, Dolphins, Titans, Ravens and Colts make 10.
The Bengals make 11 competing for 6 spots.
The Steelers will get Cameron Heyward & Martavis Bryant back plus some injured secondary help should return. They made the AFC Championship game last season and are the Favorite to win the AFC North in 2017. The Bengals need to find a way to Elevate their play to an Elite level to win this division. If not, they will be Bunched up into a large group of Wildcard contenders many of whom are Ascending teams. A 2017 AFC Wildcard will likely be harder to get than in recent years. The Bengals need to use this Draft to bring an Elite quality to at least one unit or area of the team. Do something to distinguish themselves from the Wildcard contending pack. Seattle was known for an Elite secondary. We have some Elite players scattered on both sides of the ball but need Top notch Units to Gel to actually start earning what the Great teams earn. Otherwise, we are just another team in the crowd.
The Steelers haven't done anything to improve, and 2 of the 3 BBB's are always at risk of missing games. Ben is now 35 and I don't see him lasting much longer with the punishment his style of play has produced.
Texans need a QB and missed out on Romo. 9-7 is probably their ceiling without one.
The Raiders have to deal with half empty stadiums and protests for the next 1-2 years. The Browns fell completely apart in 1995 under the same circumstances.
The Chiefs are a rock solid team under Andy Reid.
The Broncos are a question mark. They could rebound or this could be the beginning of some mediocrity. I'm guessing the latter.
Dolphins were a fluke
Titans are promising but we'll see
Ravens are 31-33 in 4 seasons since their SB win and have no scary players on their roster. Harbaugh has done an amazing job just making them mediocre, but they aren't a threat anymore.
The Colts are coming off 2 straight 8-8 seasons and Luck is the only reason anyone thinks they'll do anything.
_____________________
Btw, the Titans, Texans and Colts are obviously all in the same division. Same with the Raiders, Chiefs and Broncos.
It's unlikely that all will be playoff threats at the same time.
I'm not optimistic about this season with Ogbuehi and Fisher as bookend tackles, but I still like our chances better than some of these teams, including the Ravens.
The training, nutrition, medicine, fitness, playbooks and rules evolve. The athlete does not.
