Based on the above, the Cincinnati Bengals don’t have a chance at scraping out a ton of wins in Zac Taylor’s first season.
These win-total odds after the 2019 NFL draft coincide with odds that suggest the Bengals have the second-worst shot at the playoffs in the AFC.
Like we mentioned there, the newness of the Bengals coaching staff has hurt the perception of the team in the national spotlight. This is silly, of course — plenty of first-year coaches have had success lately.
But the Bengals did get off to an odd start with the extended wait on a defensive coordinator and the upgrades they have made aren’t headline-creating material. Jonah Williams in the first round, for example, isn’t a flashy national name — but he should boost the entire offense.
It doesn’t help the Bengals have a brutal schedule. They start on the road in Seattle, are away from home in three of their first four and also have to play the Los Angeles Rams in London.
On paper, it’s the sort of schedule that could let things get out of hand quickly, which might play a big role in the win total here.
But even under a new head coach, Bengals players probably won’t complain about an underdog status.
