Bengals snubbed in crazy list that defies logic

How are the Bengals not counted among the NFL’s Super Bowl-hopeful teams?

The 2023 NFL season is over, and any level-headed Cincinnati Bengals fan will fully admit it wasn’t the season they wanted.

Franchise quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a calf strain that kept him immobile and the offense struggled. By the time he looked back to 100%, the unthinkable happened. Burrow tore a ligament in the wrist of his throwing hand, and despite the best effort of backup quarterback Jake Browning, the season was sunk.

Now there is nothing to do but look forward to the 2024 season and all the fun the offseason will bring. It’s also time for pointless conjecture.

NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks wrote of the eight teams with the widest Super Bowl windows heading into the 2024 season, and he had the gall to leave the Bengals out.

The list starts innocently enough. The Kansas City Chiefs are in the top spot, and they should be. They’re coming off back-to-back Super Bowl championships, and Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the league. Makes sense.

Hey, the Detroit Lions are next. That’s fun! They won a playoff game this season for the first time in over 30 years (sounds familiar), and they’re a fun team to root for. I don’t think they have a better chance than the Bengals, but I’m happy they’re on the list! The Lions are one of the few teams in the league I don’t actively hate.

The Baltimore Ravens have the third spot. Okay. I get it. Lamar Jackson won MVP for the second time, but he’s also won two playoff games in his career. If there’s one thing we know about the Ravens and Jackson, it’s that their brand of football doesn’t work in late January and February. This is where the wheels start to come off. I don’t think the Ravens have a better shot than the Bengals.

Hey look, the Dallas Cowboys are next! If there was a poster child for a team that used to be dominant but couldn’t find a playoff win with two hands and a flashlight, it would be the Cowboys (the Cowboys now are who the Patriots are becoming). As far as their window being open, I guess I could say that’s true. However, the Cowboys’ window isn’t big enough for them to fit through. They have one of those old-fashioned bathroom windows that only a baby could fit through. The Bengals have a better chance than Dallas.

Next are the San Francisco 49ers. I have no problem with them being on this list. They went to the Super Bowl this season, and they were in the NFC Championship game the season before. They firmly belong here, and I find it questionable that they’re No. 5.

And now the wheels are completely falling off.

The Cleveland Browns are next. Yes, you’re still alive and breathing, and as far as I can tell, we haven’t somehow entered into a new reality. According to Brooks, the Browns have a better chance in 2024 than the Bengals. This, of course, is the same team that handed a bajillion dollars to Deshaun Watson, who hadn’t played a game in a year. What did he do in 2023? Well, he looked worse than Joe Flacco, who was plucked out of the retirement home to come play when Watson got injured.

The Green Bay Packers are next. This is a pick that I don’t have a ton of issues with. Should they be ahead of the Bengals? No. Should they be on the list? Probably, yeah. Jordan Love looks like he may be the real deal. The Bengals are in a better position, but Packers fans have something to be excited about.

And then we come down to the New York Jets. If Aaron Rodgers is healthy and comes back and looks like himself, sure. The Jets are going to be a tough team to beat. They have a good, young defense and a couple of studs on offense. Again, are they in better shape than the Bengals? No. But I understand why they’re on the list.

Now I’ve outlined the problem, so here’s my solution. Below are the eight teams with the biggest Super Bowl windows in 2024:

1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. San Francisco 49ers
3. Cincinnati Bengals
4. Detroit Lions
5. Baltimore Ravens
6. Buffalo Bills
7. Green Bay Packers
8. Philadelphia Eagles

What do you think?