Here's your bucket of cold water to the face on this hot July evening. We have all been guilty of stroking the Bengals ego this offseason. They made some good moves last year and unexpectedly made the playoffs and followed it up with another offseason appearing to be exceptional.

But, let's be honest with ourselves. This is the Bengals. They've broken our hearts many times over and over again. Right when we begin to get our hopes up for the club, they let us down. Simple fact that we've all heard this offseason: the Bengals have not made the playoffs in consecutive years in thirty years. Is this the year they finally break that spell? How about the twenty-two year spell of not winning a playoff game? Will they break that one? Or will they be the dream-crushers once again?

Discuss.