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Cincinnati Bengals: 5 Biggest Question Marks Heading into 2018

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The Cincinnati Bengals, like all other NFL teams, have some question marks they need to answer this year. Unlike many other teams, answering those questions gives them a great shot to make the playoffs.

In 2017, the Cincinnati Bengals lost four games by one possession. Their record was 7-9, and last year’s wild-card teams (the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans) make it in with 9-7 records. A touchdown here or there and the team is back in the postseason.

Here are our calls for the four biggest issues the team must address to go playoff-ing.

Four Questions That the Cincinnati Bengals Need to Answer This Year

Will the offensive line improve enough? We’ve been beating this drum more than Andrew Neiman in the movie Whiplash. Many times over the last few years, the Bengals’ O-Line performances has left their fans sounding like … well, Terence Fletcher in the movie Whiplash (Editor’s Note: Look it up on YouTube, but NSFW).  We talked a few weeks ago about the team’s recent offensive struggles. Frank Pollack taking over as line coach is definitely a breath of fresh air. Acquiring Cordy Glenn and losing Russell Bodine are steps in the right direction. And each year, the Bengals have drafted or traded for more move-the-ball talent, so you’d think that would provide extra motivation for the big uglies. It’s not like their efforts at improvement would be in vain. As soon as the line gets going, so will the fireworks. This is the year for that to happen … right?

Will John Ross and Tyler Eifert stay healthy? These two have been bitten (well, chomped) by the health bug the last couple of years. The last time Eifert played close to a full year was 2015. That season, in 13 games, he caught 52 passes for 615 yards and 13 TDs. Ross is only in his second year, but his NFL-Combine-record 4.22 speed should keep DBs playing catch-up. Since they both represent different elements of the passing game, having them healthy and on the field gives the defense a lot more ground to cover. It also means those defenses can’t focus on shutting down the running game – which isn’t running on full batteries to begin with.

Who’s after Dalton if he gets hurt? While we’re on the topic of health, let’s address Andy Dalton’s. If he’s injured, the Cincinnati Bengals will be turning to journeyman Matt Barkley, Jeff Driskel (who spent last year on injured reserve), or rookie Logan Woodside. For his career, Barkley has completed almost 60% of his passes, but holds a TD-to-INT ratio of 8-18. Driskel and Woodside have as many pro passing attempts as noted German physicist Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz (1821-1894). Hopefully, the offensive line can keep Dalton vertical.

Will the Bengals D generate more turnovers? Cincinnati only had 14 takeaways last year, including a measly 3 fumble recoveries. New DC Teryl Austin should change that. Last year with the Detroit Lions, his defensive squads tied for fourth in the NFL in interceptions (19) and forced fumbles (19).

Have the Cincinnati Bengals Fixed the O-Line for 2018?

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Good news first: if the offensive line of the Cincinnati Bengals had played at the college level in 2017, they’d have been first-team All Americans.

Bad news: they played in the NFL and like players fresh out of college, and that led to the team being dead last in the league in total offense. The Bengals averaged only 280.5 yards of offense per game.

It’s a painful reminder of how the line struggled in recent years under long time O-line coach Paul Alexander. He was let go in the off-season by coach Marvin Lewis and subsequently hired for the same position by the Dallas Cowboys.

Which is funny, because Cincy did the same thing in reverse. They hired Frank Pollack, who was fired by Dallas. We call it the Circle of Life – except it has nothing to do with either a circle or life. (awkward pause ……) Let’s move on, shall we?

Here are some other moves that will hopefully get the Cincinnati Bengals’ ability to move the ball off the NFLoor.

What Have the Cincinnati Bengals Done?

Going for Glenn. Cincinnati swapped first-round draft picks with the Bills to get offensive tackle Cordy Glenn. The 6-6, 345 lb Buffalo Boulder (okay, we made that up) has started 77 games in his pro career. He was good enough in Buffalo to earn a 5-year, $65 million contract extension in 2016. Although he battled foot and ankle problems last year, he’s only 28 years old. He’s got plenty of time left.

What going for Glenn gets you. As part of the Glenn deal, the Cincinnati Bengals went from having the 12th pick in the draft to the 21st. And they still nabbed a promising prospect in Ohio State center Billy Price. Price won the Rimington Award (best center in college football) and was the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2017.

Adding more OTs. Bobby Hart came in from the Giants, which will hopefully provide some motivation for Jake Fisher and Cedric Ogbuehi. The three will battle for the right tackle spot. The team did lose Andre Smith, but drafted Rod Taylor out of Mississippi in the seventh round.

Losing Bodine, gaining better. Ever hear the one about the Cincinnati Bengals losing Russell Bodine and becoming a worse football team? Yeah, neither have we. Plus, with the drafting of Price, there’s more potential for the line as a unit. Give Price a year or two to hit his stride and watch out for guards Christian Westerman and Alex Redmon, who played well toward the end of last season.

Getchu some Frank! The decision to hire Pollack was, no surprise, the most crucial move. He’s got plenty of young talent to work with. He’s brings the goods, as evidenced by his 2015 line in Dallas, which was very productive and had the fewest penalties in the league. If Pollack can bring the same production and discipline to the Bengals, look out.