Everyone should know that as long as the Bengals have Joe Burrow, they’re playoff contenders.
While the Bengals did not make the postseason last year due to a poor defense, they came very close to making it into the playoffs and looked to be a team getting hot at the right time after five straight wins including victories against playoff teams in the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers to finish the year.
However, due to a lackluster start to the season, Cincinnati could not climb out of a deep hole as the slow starts finally came back to haunt them.
Now with a fresh new season ahead in 2025, Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals will look to get back to the playoffs.
That’s where the ride will end according to Ben Arthur of Fox Sports.
Arthur revealed the “AFC Pecking Order” through his eyes and ranked every team in the conference based on their chance to compete in the upcoming season, below you will see his rankings.
He put the Bengals in the “One-And-Done in Playoffs” category. The Dolphins, Texans and Chargers were also grouped with Cincinnati.
It’s surprising to see them in that group, especially with the way things played out this offseason.
The Bengals had the most productive offense in the league last year and just locked in star receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to long-term extensions. Having that duo alongside Burrow puts Cincinnati in a place to compete and beat anybody in the league. Ranking them alongside the Miami Dolphins is as egregious as you can get.
As for the rest of the AFC North, the Browns are where they belong for this upcoming season in this prediction. Cleveland has little more going for it than defensive star Myles Garrett opting to return to the team on a long term deal and having a quarterback room led by 40 year old Joe Flacco.
The Baltimore Ravens are definitely Super Bowl Contenders and the biggest obstacle for the Bengals to overcome in the division as they are coming off back to back years as AFC North champions.
Lamar Jackson is electric with the ball in his hands and if not for an untimely Mark Andrews drop in the divisional round could have found himself back in the AFC Championship for the second-straight season. Derrick Henry is a 31 year old ageless anomaly at running back and after a 2024 season where he rushed for 1,921 yards should continue to build on his hall of fame resume. The Ravens and Bengals will face off against each other again and be the best teams in the North in 2025 and should have their usual iconic battles against each other.
The most questionable prediction of this whole post has to be the Pittsburgh Steelers being a team that “should win a playoff game.”
Aaron Rodgers is a future Hall of Famer and there is no reason to doubt that, but thinking he can come in at 41 years old and two years removed from an Achilles tear to lead Pittsburgh passed their playoff woes is humorous.
The Steelers do not have the depth on their roster to compete in the AFC North, let alone win in the playoffs. The teams offensive line is dysfunctional and the receiving core recently lost George Pickens who was traded to the Dallas Cowboys.
The Steelers do not have the support Rodgers needs around him at this point in his career and even if they did, we saw what Rodgers did with the Jets last year after having Davante Adams, Garrett Wilson, and Breece Hall at his disposal. This team will be lucky to even make the playoffs in 2025 and it is laughable to think they’re closer to contending than the Bengals are going into this season.
