Bengals shoot up power rankings after Week 1 victory

Entering the 2021 NFL season, expectations were pretty low for the Cincinnati Bengals. Most lists of Super Bowl odds had them only above the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions. Most power rankings had them very low to begin the season. Take Nate Davis of USA Today, ranking the Bengals at No. 28 going into Week 1.

Count him as an early believer after Cincinnati’s Week 1 overtime win over the Minnesota Vikings. In his Week 2 rankings, Davis moved the Bengals from No. 28 up to No. 20, giving a shoutout to rookie kicker Evan McPhearson:

And now we know why rookie Evan McPherson was the only kicker drafted in 2021, his game-winning FG in overtime following a 53-yarder in the fourth quarter. Icy.

On the flip side, Davis dropped the Vikings from No. 15 to No. 24. Cincinnati’s Week 2 opponent, the Chicago Bears, came in at No. 26.