Sometimes a team doesn’t have to win to move up the power rankings. That appears to be the case for the Cincinnati Bengals after a season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The Bengals didn’t escape with a win, yet almost pulling off the upset has Cincinnati making a climb.
Nate Davis of USA TODAY, for example, pulled the Bengals out of 31st:
25. Bengals (31):Very early returns suggest new Cincinnati boss Zac Taylor a stronger limb of Sean McVay coaching tree than former colleague Matt LaFleur.
Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire has the Bengals 18th:
The Bengals looked better than many expected in a 21-20 loss in Seattle, a game in which they had chances to win late. Receiver John Ross, the Washington alum who has been a profound disappointment through the first two years of his NFL career, seemed to enjoy his homecoming, as he caught seven passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns against Seattle’s unimpressive new-look secondary.
This is a common theme with rankings this week. The Bengals were aggressive, and a new coaching staff found the key to getting production from John Ross. The offensive line was good despite its apparent shortcomings, and the defensive line was as strong as ever.
Taylor and Co. will have to start winning in order to bring the rankings up higher from here on out. But Week 1 was a necessary adjustment, even if they didn’t pick up a win.
