By the time the confetti hit the ground, and before Terry Bradshaw was handing out the Lombardi Trophy to Clark Hunt, owner of the Chiefs, thirty NFL teams suddenly became 0-0 again. Only the Eagles and the Chiefs were left to deal with the aftermath of Super Bowl 57. The Chiefs celebrated their win, the Eagles were left wondering—how did we lose?
With zeros all over the game clock, the 2023 season officially began. There is never downtime in the NFL, and with the slate clean, some teams focus on how they can improve while others focus on how they can take the next step. As bettors, we focus on the best odds for who might win the title next season. What team has a realistic chance to close the gap on the Chiefs and derail their efforts to repeat? Right now, before the off-season moves and reshuffling, there is only one team—the Joe Burrow-led Cincinnati Bengals.
If you’re honest with yourself, the Bengals could make the case for already being two-time Super Bowl champions had they managed games differently, and if the officials had made a simple call. In Super Bowl LVI against the Rams, the Bengals are a missed false start call from keeping the Rams from taking the lead. Later, they failed to convert 3rd and 1 and 4th and 1 to get their hot kicker Evan McPherson into field goal range to tie the score. This year, they are a bad decision of punting down the middle of the field and a roughing call (the correct call) away from getting their game against the Chiefs into overtime. Had the Bengals gotten the game into overtime, they would have beaten the wounded Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Two years in a row the Bengals had their chances—and fell a little short—but maybe not next season. Hint—Bengals coach Zak Taylor needs to read , which might help his game ma nagement.
The Bengals are a young team with all their draft picks and boatload of cap room as they enter the 2023 season. They will use a large portion of their cap to resign Burrow to a deal, but there will be enough left over to make a few moves to improve their roster. Keeping Lou Anarumo as their defensive coordinator was huge. Not only is Anarumo a great coach and play caller, but he is also well-versed in player procurement, helping shape the defensive roster. The Bengals run their franchise much like a college team, where the coaches have significant input on the roster breakdown, and owner Mike Brown values their opinion. The defensive personnel for the Bengals were handpicked by Anarumo and his staff, fitting perfectly into his scheme. A scheme that has been able to contain Mahomes, preventing them from scoring over 30 points in the last four games.