Confidence is sky-high among Bengals fans entering 2022 NFL season

As the Cincinnati Bengals make the final preparations for their Week 1 showdown with the rival Pittsburgh Steelers, fans are excited to watch the defending AFC Champions try to pick up where they left off in 2021.

There is a different pulse around the fan base than we’ve seen in decades, though. No more hopes of small progress. No more hoping to fight for a Wild Card spot. A Super Bowl appearance last season and an improved offensive line have made the expectations clear: it is Super Bowl or bust in Cincinnati.

With every fanbase, you have your mix of views on seasons. Cautiously optimistic, full-blown cockiness and utter pessimism (yes, those fans are still out there).

In a recent poll of SB Nation readers, the vast majority of fans are confident in the team heading into the 2022 campaign.

A staggering 98% of voters are confident that the Bengals are headed in the right direction. In years past, fans seemed to feel comfortable with the direction of the team, but not an majority as overwhelming as this.

The team will start four new offensive lineman in Week 1, which may be a cause for the high confidence level. After having one of the worst offensive line units in the NFL last season, seeing the team aggressively address it in the off-season has got fans excited.

Not to be ignored is the modernization of the franchise. We all heard the jokes about the practice facility, Mike Brown being cheap and everything else that flew around on the Twittersphere. Fresh off of a near championship, the team not only added talent to the roster, but the got the franchise on the fast track to the NFL of the 2020s.

This off-season saw the addition of an indoor practice facility, a naming rights deal for the stadium and one of the fastest growing social media presences in the NFL. Some may say it is way too late, but the help of Elizabeth Blackburn in the front office has been critical in this rebirth of the organization.

The Bengals are here. Your T.V. may not tell you that, but the rest of the league knows. It is an exciting time for Bengals fans and 98% of SB Nation voters are happy with the way things are going.

Who Dey?!

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cincinnati Bengals fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate.

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