They need some things – like for their sublimely talented but often brittle quarterback to stay in the lineup … and for a highly compensated offensive nucleus to deliver the goods … and for what's been a dreadful defense to elevate to subpar, at minimum. Basically, this is Dallas East. But QB Joe Burrow appears ready to go, the defense received significant offseason investment, Zac Taylor is the only head coach in the division who was with his team last year and just two teams have weaker schedules than Cincy's (opponents with a .450 winning percentage in 2025). Maybe the Bengals aren't as complete as some of the NFC's seemingly elite squads. But in what seems to be something of a wide-open AFC, perhaps Cincinnati is just as good a bet to get back to the SoFi Super Bowl stage they shared with the Rams at the end of the 2021 campaign.