Bengals in the NFL Power Rankings: Week 1 Roundup

The Cincinnati Bengals have made two straight AFC Championship games and are looking to extend that streak to three this upcoming season.

Despite Joe Burrow’s training camp injury, he is expected to be on the field for Week 1 in Cleveland. With the addition of first-round pick Myles Murphy, the team continued to add depth to their defensive line.

The team also added Orlando Brown Jr. to solidify the team’s offensive line.

The Bengals' main concern will be their secondary, as they have young cornerbacks and two new starting safeties.

Cincinnati is expected to be one of the best teams in the NFL this season, and the Week 1 power rankings suggest that as well. That said, let’s dive into where major media sites ranked the Bengals.

ESPN — No. 4

Cincinnati will be a contender as long as Joe Burrow is healthy, and the defense remains stout even after losing standout safeties Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell.

NFL.com — No. 4

Lost amid Joe Burrow’s calf injury are the encouraging signals from the Bengals’ young secondary. Cincinnati entered camp with questions on the back end of its defense following the free-agent departures of safeties Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell, as well as cornerbacks Tre Flowers and Eli Apple. But 2022 second-rounder Cam Taylor-Britt and 2023 second-rounder DJ Turner II have been camp standouts, with Taylor-Britt’s daily matchups against WR Ja’Marr Chase earning rave reviews from onlookers. But are the young DBs shining because Burrow is out? That theory could be put to the test this preseason, starting Friday against the Packers. I don’t know if Green Bay will trot out Jordan Love much or at all, but facing a new foe will be another good test for the young CBs.

Sharp Football Analysis — No. 4

Pro Football Focus — No. 4

After losing two starting safeties in Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell this offseason, the Bengals were always going to draft at least one. They settled on Alabama’s Jordan Battle, who earned 80.0-plus PFF grades in each of the past three seasons. They also drafted a solid cornerback in DJ Turner, who allowed a catch on just 46.5% of the passes thrown into his coverage and forced 14 incompletions in 2022.

Touchdown Wire — No. 2

All of Ohio collectively held its breath when Joe Burrow hobbled off the field, and was eventually carted off with what was later revealed to be a calf strain. For the Bengals’ sake, hopefully their start quarterback doesn’t miss any regular season games. The Bengals’ did lose some talent from the last two seasons. Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates now call the NFC South home, as they signed with the Panthers and Falcons, respectively. They did, however, extend Trey Hendrickson, and as long as he, D.J. Reader, and Germaine Pratt are in the front seven, the foundation of Cincinnati’s defense will be great. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will continue doing their thing, as well. As long as Burrow is healthy, it’s business as usual for the Bengals.

Sportsnaut — No. 6

Joe Burrow is on track to start in Week 1 and that’s imperative for the Cincinnati Bengals with the season opening against the Browns and Ravens. The AFC North will be a physical battle this year, though, the Bengals’ core and MVP-caliber quarterback give them the edge. If there’s one thing that will derail Cincinnati’s season, it will be an unproven secondary with a lot of inexperience that will make it more difficult for defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo to execute his scheme and versatile game plans.

The Lines — No. 4

Joe Burrow is set to miss most of the preseason with a calf strain, but the Bengals avoided disaster when their franchise QB went down in practice. Their secondary remains among the best in the NFL after they drafted more top-tier talent.

Sporting News — No. 3

The Bengals survived the major camp injury scare with Joe Burrow and he’s on track to be healthy before Week 1 when it counts in the regular season. He comes back to more help on the offense with Orlando Brown Jr. and Irv Smith Jr. The key to watch in Lou Anarumo’s defense will be key secondary changes behind a strong front.

Yahoo! Sports — No. 3

Joe Burrow seems to have avoided a serious injury when he pulled up with what the Bengals are calling a calf strain. The team said he’ll miss several weeks, but the regular season is still several weeks away. We’ll assume Burrow will be back for the opener. If not, we know that’s really bad for the Bengals, who are also among fantasy’s powerhouse teams.

Where do you believe the Bengals should be ranked? Let us know in the comments!