Could this be the year the Bengals win the Super Bowl?
Cincinnati is among 13 NFL franchises who've never hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. It may be the Bengals though who have the best chance to end the drought and win their first title this year.
NFL.com's Gil Brandt wrote an article on the 13 franchises who've never won a title and ranked each team in tiers based on the likelihood they win the Super Bowl this season. Cincinnati came in at No. 2 behind Arizona in the 'This Could Be Their Year' tier.
The Bengals are probably the deepest of the teams on this list. Cincinnati's offense, led by receiver A.J. Green and back Jeremy Hill, will be boosted by healthy returns from Marvin Jones and Tyler Eifert, while former Bengal Michael Johnson rejoined the talented defense after a year in Tampa Bay. This squad features a lot of good, young players -- including quarterback Andy Dalton, who, yes, I think is capable of winning a playoff game, his 0-4 lifetime record notwithstanding. The AFC North is tough, but coach Marvin Lewis can get Cincinnati, which should be competitive for a while, over the postseason hump.
There's no debating the Bengals have a talented and deep roster, but 'this could be their year' is a phrase that's been uttered too often in Cincinnati, only to end in a first-round playoff exit. As a seasoned Bengals fan, while it's optimistic to believe, it's hard to buy into the "this could be their year" mentality.
Until the Bengals can show they're capable of winning in the playoffs, 'this could be their year' will ring hollow in the Queen City.