The Cincinnati Bengals have become one of the best teams in the NFL the last couple seasons. With 2020 No. 1 overall pick leading the way, Cincy has been to a Super Bowl (2021) and were just seconds away from a repeat appearance in (2022).
In doing the Bengals have become the second-best team in the AFC behind only the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. They’ve also taken control of arguably the toughest division in the NFL, the AFC North, which also features the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns.
In winning the division the past two seasons, Cincy has established itself as the clear-cut best team in the division, but former Baltimore Ravens star turned ESPN NFL analyst Bart Scott, says the Bengals success should come with an asterisk.
Scott Says Only Won Division Because Of Injuries
Speaking during a recent segment on ESPN’s “Get Up,’ Scott, who’s known to have some of the most outlandish takes as it pertains to Jackson, may have even outdone himself with his latest one.
“Lamar Jackson is going to remind everybody that he is him,” said Scott. “He’s going to show people that he can throw the ball as well. The Ravens are always above the Bengals in the standings. It’s only when Lamar Jackson gets hurt that the Bengals are able to win that division.”
Plenty of people feel Scott couldn’t be more wrong and the Bengals would’ve won the division with or without Jackson in the lineup down the stretch the last two seasons. They’re no longer inferior to the Ravens or Steelers, the two teams who have long dominated that division.
Jackson Looking For Redemption Season
Jackson has regressed each season since taking the league by storm in 2019 and becoming just the second unanimous MVP in league history.
After tossing a league-leading 36 touchdowns that season, with just six interceptions, Jackson has passed for only 59 touchdowns and 29 interceptions the past three seasons.
And while, he’s had some really great moments in each season, it’s not been anywhere as consistent as his dynamic 2019 campaign.
The belief in Baltimore and around the league is he’s ready to have a bounce-back season after getting his bag, learning a new more QB-friendly offense and seeing the team upgrade the talent around him.
