The Cincinnati Bengals have a lot of pressure on their shoulders this season. After finishing in last place in the AFC North in 2023, fans are hungry for another memorable campaign. However, one simulation predicted another oddly disappointing year for the team.
According to Pro Football Network’s 2024 NFL Playoff Predictor, the Bengals were predicted to finish above .500, but not above last place.
Here is what NFL analyst Mike Wobschall had to say about it.
“Widely considered the toughest division in the NFL, the AFC North lives up to that billing in 2024 with three teams logging double-digit wins and no team finishing below .500. While the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals are considered the division’s heavyweights, the Cleveland Browns win the AFC North in this simulation,” he wrote.
This would be the Browns’ first division win since 1989, long before their quarterback, Deshaun Watson, was born. In the simulation, the Browns finished 12-5, earning the most wins since 1986. In second place, the Baltimore Ravens finish 11-6, taking their first big step back in the Lamar Jackson era after reaching the AFC title game.
The Pittsburgh Steelers finished 10-7, insinuating that either Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, or both quarterbacks worked out for a time in 2024. Considering the current state of the quarterback battle in August, the Steelers are likely to ride to coat tails of Fields in the simulation.
Joe Burrow’s future stock could take hit if prediction comes true
It would take more than a nine-win season to sink Joe Burrow overnight. However, another fourth-place finish would be a bad look for the quarterback long term. It would be back-to-back seasons stuck around .500 in a scarily similar comparison to Andy Dalton’s time with the Bengals.
Sure, the tough-as-nails AFC North is nothing to shake a stick at, but the Bengals are not moving out of the division any time soon.
As such, it will make the team question their way forward. At that point, it might take a new head coach or a massively reworked defense to keep pace in the division. Some might argue that both changes could be necessary. With Burrow locked down for quite some time, the Bengals are stuck with the core of their offense.
Will the Bengals re-emerge in 2024 as one of the top teams in the AFC? On the other hand, has the Burrow era hit a plateau?
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