Can Zac Taylor take the Bengals to the Super Bowl once again?

The Cincinnati Bengals had a year to remember last season as they went from being one of the worst teams in the entire NFL to being just one game away from becoming Super Bowl Champions.

Of course, there will have been many that would have been left feeling upset that they were beaten by the Los Angeles Rams 23-20 at SoFi Stadium last February, especially as they looked to be so close to claiming the title at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

However, there will be a sense of overwhelming pride that the Ohio-based organization had managed to achieve what they had, and many will have been left feeling excited about the progress the team has been making under quarterback Joe Burrow and head coach Zac Taylor. But, will they be able to get to another Super Bowl under this current head coach?

Will Zac Taylor get the team to another Super Bowl?

Naturally, many will be wondering whether Zac Taylor will be able to guide the Cincinnati Bengals to another Super Bowl in the future, with the coach seemingly turning things around for the Ohio franchise.

As mentioned, the Bengals were once considered to be the worst team in the league, which they are definitely not nowadays as the franchise continues to play better football and continue to be competitive and challenging.

Nonetheless, whether the team is able to make another push for the Super Bowl this season is perhaps a little debatable and something that many may not be considering achievable just at this present moment in time.

The 2022 NFL season has been tough for the Bengals

Currently – ahead of the Week 7 clash with the Atlanta Falcons – the Bengals are finding the 2022 NFL season a little tougher than they might have hoped, potentially putting their hopes of another Super Bowl run on hold.

Naturally, it is important to stress that there are still some matches left to be played before the postseason, so it is vital not to rule the team out at this stage, especially as we have seen many other scenarios that have been worse be accomplished for teams in the past concerning playing playoff football.

Taylor’s squad is currently 3-3, with the team having recently been narrowly beaten by the Baltimore Ravens 19-17 in a game where they would have been looking to pick up their third win in a row. Indeed, the Bengals had defeated two AFC East opponents in Week 3 and 4, with victories over the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins. However, the match against their fellow AFC North rivals ended in defeat.

This is something that will have hurt the team’s confidence, as well as those that continue to wager on the team now that sports betting is legal to participate in across Ohio.

Indeed, the BetMGM Ohio sportsbook odds for AFC North have continually been made available to punters who are supporting their team with each week they take to the field, however, the defeat to the Ravens will have decreased the confidence held in Taylor’s side of progressing from an incredibly tough group.

Those potentially considering wagering on the group will perhaps want to know that things have not been great for the Ohio team this year. The Bengals currently sit third in the group, and things have not been good for the team when facing AFC North opponents this season. They lost in the season opener to the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-23, thus losing both games by a combined score of less than a touchdown.

Nonetheless, as we mentioned, there is still plenty of football to be played out on the gridiron, so could Burrow and Taylor get the team back up and running and have a late push in an attempt to have another Super Bowl run?

What does the remainder of the 2022 NFL season look like?

We know at this moment that there are still 12 games of the NFL season left for the Bengals to be able to put together a charge for the postseason. As stressed, their hopes of reaching the postseason have not been diminished yet, but the team will need to improve as they will face some teams that are doing well or are notoriously tricky opponents.

The Saints and the Atlanta Falcons are up next for Taylor’s team, before an AFC North showdown with the Cleveland Browns – the first of the season and the final team to be played in the first round of divisional games. This is going to be a game that will have to be considered a must-win for the Bengals, regardless of what happens in weeks 7 and 8.

Games left to be played:

• Week 7: Atlanta Falcons
• Week 8: @ Cleveland Browns
• Week 9: Carolina Panthers
• Week 10: BYE
• Week 11: @ Pittsburgh Steelers
• Week 12: @ Tennessee Titans
• Week 13: Kansas City Chiefs
• Week 14: Cleveland Browns
• Week 15: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Week 16: @ New England Patriots
• Week 17: Buffalo Bills
• Week 18: Baltimore Ravens

As can be seen, there is many incredibly difficult fixtures that Taylor’s side will need to navigate successfully, thus making their 3-3 record one that appears to have put them on the back foot already.

Final Thoughts

While there is no reason to suggest that Taylor can not get the Bengals to another Super Bowl in the future – he certainly has a young team and a roster of talented players that could potentially make that happen – this season does look to be a little beyond their reach at the moment.

The fixtures left are incredibly difficult and with two defeats combined with less than a score of a touchdown across both, some may feel the team has been unlucky. However, they are going to need to improve in the AFC North when they take on the Browns (twice), as well as in the return games against the Steelers and the Ravens.