INGLEWOOD (Calif.) — Cincinnati BengalsThey knew that drastic changes were necessary if they want to remain a perennial contender for the playoffs.
To speed the rebuilding process, they used free agency to draft playmakers in the past two offseasons. Cincinnati became the AFC North’s best team through smart signings and great draft picks.
Sunday is the big day 23-20 lossThe Los Angeles RamsIn Super Bowl LVIRemember that the Bengals need to win at the highest level. To be the best team in the NFL, you must thoroughly examine your team and fix any weaknesses.
The Rams highlighted the areas that need to be improved immediately, as if it hadn’t been obvious enough prior to the Super Bowl.
In the second period, Cincinnati’s offensive lines were harmed by the Rams’ pass rush. Bengals quarterback Joe BurrowParticularly in the second half, he was often sacked. Los Angeles tallied five of those in the third quarter, the most in a quarter in Super Bowl history, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Burrow was left writhing on grass after sustaining a right-leg injury.
Cincinnati lost out on the NFL’s top prize because of that flaw.
It’s clear that this was the greatest season in franchise history. The Bengals broke a 31-year drought of playoff wins, which was the longest in the NFL. They also won the conference championship, for the first time since 1989.
Cincinnati’s third season under Zac Taylor was a success. He had won six games the previous two seasons.
The Bengals are able to see what despair looks like. Two years ago, the Bengals were the worst NFL team. They then drafted Burrow. After this Super Bowl run, they now know how the top of the mountain might look.
They know that they have a young core who can compete and possibly be among the favorites for the AFC’s next few years.
Burrow declared after the game that “We are going back to this moment and finish at the top like we wanted to” “We came up just short.”
Burrow was the Bengals’ first draft pick. This is a quarterback who will not settle for anything less than being the best. Cincinnati could soon be competing for another Super Bowl if it embraces this mindset.
Bengals wide receiver says, “This will pave our way because now that we know how it gets here, this is going to be the way.” Tyler Boyd said. “We need to keep building and sticking together as a team. We will achieve greater success if we continue to do this.”
Los Angeles taught us that dreams are only possible if one makes big moves.
The Rams know what it feels like to lose in Super Bowl LIII. They lost Super Bowl LIII. This was Taylor’s last game on Sean McVay’s staff as an assistant coach before the Bengals hired Taylor in 2019.
Los Angeles was able to become a quarterback during the next season. Jared GoffIt wasn’t the right long-term solution, and the 2016 No. 1 overall pick to be the Detroit LionsIn exchange for veteran Matthew StaffordOne year ago.
Other big upgrades were also made by the Rams with a 2021 trade at midseason. Von MillerThe former Denver BroncosSuper Bowl 50 MVP edge rusher. Los Angeles also picked wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.Waivers after a disagreement with the Cleveland Browns.
These were bold actions from a front desk that understood its goals and was willing to take on the challenge.
One of the many great things Cincinnati did during the offseason before the 2021 season was signing defensive end Trey Hendrickson, outside cornerback Chidobe AwuzieCornerback slot Mike HiltonThe Bengals are now paying the price for failing to address their biggest problem, the offensive line.
According to ESPN’s metrics and NFL Next Gen, the Bengals were the worst pass-blocking unit in 2020. The team made only minimal improvements to their offensive line in the offseason. The addition of veteran tackle Riley ReiffHis injury reserve status on Dec. 16 was declared null. Jackson CarmanThe second-round selection of the team, who was a tackle player in college, couldn’t secure the starting right guard spot, creating uncertainty throughout the postseason. Cincinnati’s Super Bowl run featured a nine-sack performance by the Tennessee TitansIn the divisional round.
This is what made the Rams’ loss so disappointing. Cincinnati was able to make the important moves but failed to notice the obvious.
The Bengals can take comfort in knowing that the line can be fixed with a quality draft and aggressive moves in free-agent.
According to OverTheCap.com, Cincinnati will have $44.8million in salary cap space by 2022. Although it will need to use a large portion of that money to fill out the roster’s gaps, there is still room to make improvements.