One expert thinks Bengals win it all in 2024

The Cincinnati Bengals remain a favorite going into next season despite the recent changes to the coaching staff.

Case in point, while outlining a bold prediction for every team in 2024, Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr says the Bengals will lead the league in total offense and finally hoist a Lombardi Trophy:

No Brian Callahan? No problem. Zac Taylor and Dan Pitcher, the team’s new offensive coordinator and a prospective future star, are going to post the best numbers of Burrow’s career in 2024. That means besting 35 touchdowns, and the 4,600 yards Burrow threw for during the Bengals’ Super Bowl season in 2021.

Oh, and the Bengals defeat the Detroit Lions in Super Bowl LIX.

It’s a fun prediction for Bengals fans, undoubtedly. There are concerns about Zac Taylor’s staff finally seeing its uncanny year-over-year consistency disrupted, but the franchise spent years grooming Dan Pitcher to take over.

At its most basic, these sorts of stat outputs and championship contention itself are always possible if Joe Burrow remains healthy.

As such, much of this offseason figures to go toward making sure he’s protected and productive, which includes likely hitting Tee Higgins with a franchise tag.