By: Jake Rajala

The Cincinnati Bengals defied all the odds last season and reached their first Super Bowl in 33 years (which they only narrowly lost to the LA Rams 23-20). They topped the AFC with a 27-24 OT win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Kansas City and wrapped up the AFC North Division Title with a 10-7 record. Ja’Marr Chase amassed 175 points, Joe Burrow 153 points, Joe Mixon 150 points, and Tee Higgins 125 points. The next best receiver was tight end C.J. Uzomah with 93 points. It was an outstanding year, but I don’t think it will be repeated. Here’s why:

1: Strength of Schedule.

The Bengals played last season with the fourth-placed schedule in the AFC North. They only played five Playoff teams in their 17 games- the Packers, the Raiders, the Chargers, the Niners, and the Chiefs and they lost three of these games.

In 2022, they have the third most demanding schedule. Aside from the Ravens and Browns in the AFC North, both of whom were injury-ravaged all last season, and the Steelers (who won’t be a pushover despite moving on from Roethlisberger), the Bengals have to play the Cowboys, Saints, Titans, Chiefs, Buccaneers, and the Bills, with honorable mention to the Dolphins (added Tyreek Hill),  and Patriots. If they somehow manage to still make it to the Playoffs we can probably count the Chargers to that list who added Khalil Mack. Last season they won three regular season games by 3 points or less which ultimately made the difference between winning the AFC North and enabling them to go on their postseason run. I don’t think they will be so fortunate this coming season. 

2. Depth of Roster.

As already mentioned the Bengals relied on a small handful of players for most of their points. Burrow and Chase is a deadly combination, but if Chase was to go down injured, what depth do the Bengals have at wide receiver after Higgins and Boyd? Have you ever heard of Mike Thomas, Stanley Morgan, Trent Taylor? The Bengals have these listed as their second wide receivers. Oh, and tight end C.J. Uzomah has left the Bengals.

For a Super Bowl-losing team the Bengals don’t have much depth, and to be fair, they didn’t last season either, but last season they were remarkably injury-free. Of the 32 NFL teams, the Bengals had the 9th healthiest roster and the fourth healthiest in the AFC. They’re unlikely to be as fortunate this coming season.

3. Evan McPherson.

Let’s not pretend the Bengals kicker didn’t significantly impact the Bengals win total last season. Statistics don’t lie:

• McPherson had 5 game winning walk-off field goals 
• He Kicked 12/12 in the postseason which is the NFL record
• He holds the NFL record of 4 field goals kicked in multiple games in a single postseason
• He was 12/14 field goals of 50+ yards which is another NFL record
• He was 22/22 on field goals on the road last season
• He amassed 130 points from field goals last season so contributed the fourth most points on the team

No wonder the Bengals faithful gave him a huge reception when he came on in their preseason friendly loss to the Cardinals, where he didn’t miss a kick, including a 58-yard bomb. As good as he is, 5 walk-off wins are unlikely this upcoming season.

My prediction is the AFC North is likely to be won by the Baltimore Ravens unless Jacoby Brissett performs a lot better than expected for the Cleveland Browns. If the Browns are still in contention by game 12, and the return of Deshaun Watson, there might yet be a late twist in the AFC North Division race.

The post Will the Bengals repeat their success in 2022? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Courtney Burrows

Now that the Superbowl is officially over and there is (gulp) 206 days until the 2022 season, we dive headfirst into free agency, dynasty, rookies, and the draft.  Superbowl LVI saw the Rams defeat the Bengals 23-20 in a battle till the end.  There are numerous free agents on both sides of the ball who are hoping to either resign or move to another team. 

Cincinnati Bengals

TE-CJ Uzomah

Drafted in the 5^th round in 2015, Uzomah has been a mainstay for the team.  He played only 2 games in 2020 and many thought he was fading into the background.  He came back staying in sync with Burrow for five touchdowns and 493 yards.  Now, those aren’t insane TE numbers, but they are decent and consistent especially when you consider he is the 3^rd to 4^th target on the team.  It’s always hard to lose a player that has been with the team since the beginning, but they do two other TEs on the roster, (though I believe Uzomah to be a better pass-catcher than Sample).  I think they keep Uzomah due to his big middle-of-the-field presence, chemistry with Burrow, but he is coming off an MCL sprain that could be lingering.   

Prediction: Retained( but really depends on money)

CB Eli Apple

Apple unfortunately was the defender that allowed Cooper Kupp to score the game-winning touchdown in the Superbowl.  This after much controversy has surrounded him when in the last few weeks he has taken to Twitter to speak of his distaste of the Saints and Giants (two of his former teams).  These Twitter comments have included hating the fanbase to the actual cities themselves.  While in New Orleans he had 11 passes defended and only one interception, and in 30 games with the Giants, he was suspended and only racked up 102 tackles.  It seems to me that someone with a rocky background should keep his head down and just play hard to win every game and prove his worth.  I don’t think this time he did.  This season with the Bengals, he had 11 assists and two interceptions.  There are younger, stronger, faster CBs out there not only in the draft but coming up in free agency like Casey Hayward Jr, or Steven Nelson.

 Prediction:  Released

QB Brandon Allen

It is quite obvious Allen is a backup and Burrow is not going anywhere anytime soon, but when Burrow went down last year, it was Allen who stepped in.  He has learned under Coach Taylor’s offensive system and has developed a great rapport with Burrow.  At 29 years old, it might be smart to retain him one more year and make a trade for a younger back up next year as there will be lots of QB shuffling this off-season.  Allen fits well behind Burrow, and with the Bengals looking to make another run at the big game next season, it makes sense to prioritize your off-season elsewhere than another QB.  During the 2021 season when Allen stepped in, he threw for 925 yards and five TDs.  He has proven himself to be coachable, consistent, and able to do the smaller tasks asked of him. 

Prediction:  Retained

Los Angeles Rams

WR Odell Beckham Jr.

After numerous up and downs seasons with the Browns, OBJ signed a one-year deal with the Rams.  We all know now that the Rams organization was “all-in” signing all the missing pieces to make a Superbowl caliber team, and that helped propel them to Superbowl Champions.  Immediately following the Superbowl win, OBJ tweeted he really wanted to stay in LA and was even willing to take a salary cut, and that is good news considering the Rams’ salary cap.  OBJ came up big when Robert Woods went on IR and complemented Kupp as a huge red-zone target.  He genuinely seemed to mesh with this team well, and there were no on or off-field antics swirling around him.  Maybe the sea air refreshed him enough to focus on football and the job he was paid to do.  In 9 games with the Rams, he had 359 yards on 31 receptions and five touchdowns.  He was instrumental in the first quarter of the Superbowl for Stafford catching the 1^st TD of the game.  I feel teams will be gunning for him after his turnaround time with the Rams, but I think the Rams would be wise to hold on to him one more year, especially at a discount as they make another run for the glory.

Prediction: Retained

RB Sony Michel

Akers is back and Henderson looked good as the passing-back in the Rams Superbowl victory.  Michel was the lead back Weeks 13-16 when Henderson went down carrying the ball for 423 yards, and overall had 845 yards and four TDs last season.  He is a great 3^rd-down back but struggles in the passing game.  I would love to see him in Atlanta complementing Patterson.  I think Davis is not a viable option, and I am guessing that Atlanta focuses on a QB in RD 1 or 2 to rep and learn behind Matt Ryan.  Don’t forget Michel is a graduate of Georgia, so coming home probably has a nice ring to it. 

Prediction:  Released

OLB Von Miller

Oh, how I love Von.  I loved watching him lead the defense for years with Denver and when he went to the Rams, my first thought was”¦they are going to win the Superbowl with him!  He is 32 and will be 33 before the start of the 2022 season, but when healthy he is a beast, and that may carry a high dollar price.  I could see him wanting to see what else is out there as he contemplates retirement within the next few years, but what could be better than LA”¦sun, sand, and another run at a back-to-back Superbowl appearance?  He most likely will desire to stay with the Rams, but they might not be able to afford him.  If he is willing to lower his salary terms, maybe, but there are plenty of teams that would love him for one to two more years including the Cardinals, Colts, Bears, and Raiders. 

Prediction:  Released (unless a lower salary is bargained)

The post Bengals and Rams free agency outlook appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Rishi Patel

Welcome back to this NFL column where I will be giving my advice about which fantasy players you should pluck off your waiver wire each week during this NFL season. 

During each NFL season, there are usually sleepers that emerge who you should pick up off the waiver wire due to various reasons, such as better performances than expected, injuries, etc. It’s important to make good use of the waiver wire as players from here could sometimes be good depth and even a starter for your team in critical stretches. It’s hard to believe we are nearly at the midpoint of the season. Let’s look at some players you should consider for this week:

Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles RB starter Miles Sanders suffered a low-ankle sprain in Sunday’s loss to the Raiders and could be out for a couple of weeks as a result. This pushes 2021 fifth-round pick Kenneth Gainwell to the top of the depth chart for now. The 22-year-old hasn’t been all that effective in his rookie year but has shown spurts of brilliance. 

This includes a five receptions for 41 yards and a score performance on Sunday against Vegas and even posting 58 receiving yards earlier in the season. Gainwell will now see a lot more of the rushing workload and has receiving prowess, so he’s a solid addition. He will likely fight for carries with Boston Scott, but Gainwell has more upside. 

Michael Carter, RB, New York Jets

Look, the Jets are in shambles (as usual). Things got even worse on Sunday when rookie QB Zach Wilson went down with a PCL injury and now has to miss a few weeks. This means the Jets could lean more on their running game and that is where Carter comes in. The rookie has had modest numbers so far each week but he paces the Jets in rushing yards. 

He also has receiving abilities out of the backfield and just put up eight receptions for 67 yards on nine targets in Week 7. Though this is one of the worst offenses in the league, Carter’s dual-threat ability and expected larger role make him an intriguing addition. 

Byron Pringle, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs may be struggling this year overall, but their offense is still one of the most talented in the league. And despite having players like Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, other guys have been stepping up this season too, like Byron Pringle. The 27-year-old has quietly put up at least three games with 55 yards this season. In Week 7, he posted five receptions for 73 yards on six targets. 

Pringle is the fourth-leading receiver on Kansas City and has been quite underrated thus far. He’s worth stashing for your team if you need depth.  

Kendrick Bourne, WR, New England Patriots

The Pats may not have a true WR1, but Bourne has certainly done enough to grab the attention of managers this season. The former 49er now has at least 58 yards in four of the past five games despite not seeing a huge number of targets. He had 96 yards in one of those contests. Bourne is showing consistency and decent production, meaning he’s a sneaky good stash right now. 

Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens have always been about the run but Lamar Jackson can make some nice throws (when he decides to). Baltimore has mostly relied on Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown but a third viable pass-catcher may have emerged in the rookie Bateman out of Minnesota. 

The 22-year-old suffered a groin injury back in August and didn’t make his NFL debut until Week 6 in the blowout win over the Chargers, where he posted 29 yards. He flashed a little more of his talent in Week 7 when he posted three receptions for 80 yards on six targets. Bateman has the potential to be the third-best receiving option behind Andrews and Brown, and he’s worth adding. 

C.J. Uzomah, TE, Cincinnati Bengals

Uzomah has been on fire in recent weeks and that continued on Sunday in a win over the arch-rival Ravens. He had three receptions for 91 yards and two scores. Overall, the 28-year-old has had five touchdowns in the last four games. One thing to note with Uzomah is his inconsistency. While he did post 91 and 95 yards in two of the past four games, he managed only 15 and 16 yards in the other two contests.

The TE is a risky option given his up and down weeks but he’s certainly worth taking a chance on if you need TE options. There is room for Uzomah to have a big game, as evidence of a few recent contests.

The post Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 8 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.