by 2023 Season Recap
The Cincinnati Bengals were looking to have a promising 2023 season as they had Burrow returning
along with the core of skill players on offense that included Joe Mixon, Tee Higgins, and Ja’Marr Chase
along with others; Lou Anarumo’s defense was looking poised to be a great defense and looking to help
this team get to another Super Bowl until the injury plague started to hit the offense.
Tee Higgins only played in 12 games this past season as he was dealing with a lingering injury. Higgins's
numbers were a drop-off compared to the statistics he put up in the 2022 season. Joe Burrow was
dealing with a calf injury at the beginning of the season that led to a slow start for the Bengals through
the first few games of the season. Just as the Bengals were looking to come around and potentially
make a playoff run, Joe Burrow went down for the year in the 10 th game of the season when the Bengals
were sitting at 5-4. Burrow had a wrist injury that required season-ending surgery.
Jake Browning is a solid backup, and it truly surprised many fans and me. The fact that he was able to
win 4 more games after Joe Burrow went down is impressive. According to the Athletic, judging by their
crown jewel Defense-Adjusted Value Over Average number, the Bengals had the eighth toughest
schedule in the NFL since 1979 and the toughest any team has endured since 2015. When looking at the
list of quarterbacks they faced in the 2023 season, you would not be able to tell if that is an MVP ballot
or all the QBs the Bengals played against last season: Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Brock
Purdy, and the rookie standout C.J. Stroud.
The Bengals did wrap up the season finishing with a 9-8 record and missing the playoffs while finishing
last in the AFC North.
Key Additions
Offense
Offensive Tackles
The Bengals were able to get Joe Burrow some much-needed help for the 2024 season. The Bengals
have taken the approach of signing mid-tier free agents and drafting highly touted linemen when
possible. This past offseason the Bengals were able to sign tackle Trent Brown to a contract that makes
him the 25 th highest-paid tackle of the 2024 season. The Bengals also acquired Amarius Mims, an
offensive tackle from the University of Georgia, in the first round of the 2023 season. Both additions will
be vital in protecting Joe Burrow and adding some extra depth at the tackle position.
Zack Moss, RB
The running back from Indianapolis has some big shoes to fill as he is looking to pick up from where Joe
Mixon left off. According to Pro Football Reference, Joe Mixon rushed for 1,034 yards with 9
touchdowns and caught 52 passes for 376 yards along with 3 receiving touchdowns. It is looking bright for the Bengals as Zack Moss had the best year of his career in the 2023 season rushing for 794 yards
and 5 touchdowns, along with catching the ball 27 times for 192 yards and 2 touchdowns. If Moss can
repeat or even do better than what he did last season with the Colts, and Chase Brown can be a suitable
backup, the Bengals will easily be able to fill the void that Mixon left in the backfield.
Mike Gesicki, TE
I believe that Gesicki will prove to be a valuable piece to this offense in the 2024 season. As I believe
that he was underutilized in New England this past season, the Bengals are hoping to see Gesicki back in
2021 form where had 780 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns during that campaign (Pro Football
Reference). According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, “Burrow has a tight end in Gesicki who is six
foot six, can get 10 inches higher off the ground than any tight end he has played within the NFL, and
has three 50-catch NFL seasons in his career.”
Defense
Safeties
The Bengals completely revamped their safeties and brought in two new veterans, and one is a familiar
face: Geno Stone and Vonn Bell.
Geno Stone is a free-agency pickup from division rivals Baltimore Ravens. Stone is coming off a season
where he finished 2 nd in the NFL in interceptions (WLWT).
Vonn Bell is returning to the Bengals after playing one season for the Carolina Panthers. Bell looks to
repeat what he did for the Bengals in the 2022 season that ended in a Super Bowl appearance, which is
4 interceptions on the season along with not giving up a single touchdown in coverage that season.
Sheldon Rankins, DT
Rankins inked a 2-year contract with the Bengals this offseason as he is looking to be the one that fills
D.J. Reader’s shoes on the defensive line. Rankins is coming off a 2023 season in which he had 6 sacks
along with 37 combined tackles (Pro Football Reference). Rankins will be a valuable piece to this defense
and will look to create and add pressure to the interior of that offensive line to allow for Hendrickson
and Hubbard to run freely around the outside.
Key Departures
Offense
Tyler Boyd, WR
Losing Boyd will be critical for the Bengal's offense as he has the surest hands on third downs and really
would always make a play for the Bengals these last few years when they needed it most. But with the
promise shown by rookie Jermaine Burton and other receivers such as Charlie Jones or Andrei Iosivas,
the Bengals seem like they are in a great spot to fill that void.
Joe Mixon, RB
We touched on Mixon’s 2023 production earlier when talking about Zack Moss, but losing Mixon will
leave a hole in the backfield but the Bengals believe that Moss and Chase Brown can fill in that gap on
offense.
Defense
D.J. Reader, DT
Reader was an important piece to the 2022 Bengals defense that was able to make it to the Super Bowl.
Reader was the anchor of that defensive line and looks to have the same role and carry his talents over
to Detroit where he looks to make an immediate impact on the team.
Chidobe Awuzie, CB
Awuzie has found his new home with the Tennessee Titans during this offseason, leaving a gap at one of
the starting cornerback positions. Awuzie and Mike Hilton were making plays all over the field during the
2022 playoff run, so filling this role will be important if the Bengals are looking to have a great 2024
season. Players like Cam Taylor-Britt and D.J. Turner are poised and ready for the opportunity to battle
for that role.
Predictions for the first 4 games
The following are the first 4 games of the season and my predicted scores for the Cincinnati Bengals:
VS. New England: 24-3 W
Drake Maye will be looking to get his feet wet in his NFL debut and I believe that the Bengals will not let
him get comfortable at all. Joe Burrow will look like his true self again and start the season by spreading
the love on offense and throwing multiple touchdowns to different receivers.
@ Kansas City: 31-28 W
This is the only game that I think could be a toss-up out of these first 4 games of the season. The Chiefs
are back-to-back Super Bowl champions but I do not think that will stop Burrow. This feels like a year
where Burrow wants to put the league on notice so I think he will be prepared for a shootout with
Mahomes and get the better of him as well.
VS. Washington: 35-17 W
Similar to Week 1, I believe that the Bengal's defense will not allow Jayden Daniels to feel comfortable in
the pocket and will force him to struggle all day. Burrow and the offense will continue to roll.
@ Carolina: 27-10 W
I thought that the score of this game could be worse but I didn’t know how bad so I stopped at 17. If the
Bengals get off to the start that I am thinking, by Week 4 they could be in a position to put up 35-40 points on them and show the league that they have the potential to be the best offense in the league by
the end of the season.
yes, I truly believe that the Bengals can 100% start the season 4-0 and get off to a hot start. There
are three very winnable games along with the game at Kansas City that will be a shootout. According to
The Athletic, In games favored by at least 6 points since the start of 2021, the Bengals are 7-3. They’ve
won and covered five in a row.
Season Win total prediction
According to BetMGM, the line for total wins this season for the Cincinnati Bengals is 10.5. Taking into
consideration all of the additions and departures, Burrow coming back healthy this season, and the
overall squad that the Bengals have for 2024, I believe that this team will avenge what they did last year
finishing 12-5, and winning the AFC North in the 2024-2025 NFL season.
