National Analyst Says Joe Burrow and the Bengals Are Contenders Despite Uneven Start

Cincinnati enters Sunday's matchup with Baltimore with a 2-2 record.

Author:
James Rapien
Publish date:
Oct 5, 2022 7:45 AM EDT

In this story:

CINCINNATI — The Bengals are 2-2 and tied for first place in the AFC North, but no one predicted that they'd start 0-2 on the year.

Despite their slow start, NFL.com analyst Adam Schein believes Cincinnati is still a legitimate contender in the AFC.

"Over the past two weeks, the Bengals have taken care of business against the Jets and Dolphins, beating both by double digits," Schein wrote. "During this span, Burrow has looked much more like the guy who magically led Cincinnati to the Super Bowl eight months ago, posting a 5:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio and 115.4 passer rating. Crucially, the offensive line has kept Burrow upright; after giving up a whopping 13 sacks in the first two weeks, the Bengals have yielded just three in the past two. Meanwhile, the defense has been pretty consistent in the early goings of the 2022 campaign, but the unit has especially tightened up in the team's two wins, with Trey Hendrickson logging 2.5 sacks against New York and Vonn Bell nabbing two picks vs. Miami.
"I still take the Bengals over the Ravens, Browns and Steelers in the AFC North and still have the reigning AFC champs as a team that can make serious noise once again in January."

The Bengals travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens this Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. Cincinnati is hoping to win their third-straight game in the AFC North rivalry.

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