Tuesday Trenches: Crystal ball

Predicting the future isn’t something I’ve ever been good at, especially when it comes to the Bengals. So here’s what my crystal ball says:

We’re in the dog days of summer, at least as far as the NFL is concerned. It’s hot, and it’s just going to get hotter over the next couple of months, but the league is on summer break. The Cincinnati Bengals have broken minicamp without Trey Hendrickson and first-round pick Shemar Stewart signed and neither participated.

The team has been getting dragged, and rightfully so, throughout the national media, and all of this comes on the heals of a 9-8 season in which the team with an explosive offense was shackled with a terrible defense that ranked near the bottom of the league.

I was doom and gloom last week, and I still mostly am. I don’t think the Bengals have done anything CLOSE to put a Super Bowl worthy roster around Burrow, neither on the offensive line in front of their franchise quarterback nor on the defensive side of the ball.

Having said that, I do have some predictions. Starting with:

The Bengals will extend Hendrickson

It will happen. The Bengals will pay more than they want, and Hendrickson will take a little less than he wanted, but the two sides pretty much have to come to an agreement, and they know it. If the Bengals go into the season without their ONLY reliable pass rusher, their defense will be worse than it was in 2024. If Hendrickson sits out, he’ll likely have to retire because it’s going to be hard for a 31-year-old to land a large contract after missing a full season.

They have to come to an agreement, and I think they will. When is the question?

The Bengals will sign Shemar Stewart

Here’s another deal that I think will get done, but Stewart’s rookie season has suffered. I know he’s putting work in behind the scenes, but he missed OTAs and minicamps and could have used that time getting used to his new teammates and familiarizing himself with Al Davis’ system.

Sure, he’s likely familiar from a distance, but it’s not the same. There have been some harsh words between the two sides, and the front office is in a spotlight they usually try to avoid, but the deal will get done.

Hopefully, Stewart can get off to a quick start in the preseason.

Burrow enjoys the best offensive line of his career, and it’s mediocre compared to others

I think the Bengals have two solid bookend tackles in Orlando Brown Jr. and Amarius Mims, and Ted Karras is a reliable enough center. The real trouble came from the guard position in 2024, and they’re going into the upcoming season with a rookie and Cody Ford, Cordell Volson, and free agent Lucas Patrick.

I think it will be better than it was last year, and Burrow will be sacked the least amount of times in his career. Comparably, they’ll be mediocre.

Remember the line in front of Burrow during the Super Bowl, though.

Chase Brown explodes in Year 3

If I were defensive coordinator and I was facing the Bengals (thank the old gods and the new I’m not), I’d pour every available resource at Burrow and the passing game. He is, after all, one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and the Bengals’ offense flows through his right arm. Extra pressure, disguised coverages, whatever it takes.

Notice I didn’t talk about the running game?

I’m not saying that Brown is going to be RB1 in fantasy football, but I do think he’s going to punish defensive coordinators all over the NFL for forgetting the Bengals also have running backs on the roster. He’s got some crazy top-end speed, and he’s a home run threat whenever he touches the ball. I don’t think the Bengals are going to become a run-heavy team, but I do think Brown will emerge as RB1 and hold on to that title for the foreseeable future.

The Bengals defense is different and eventually better

Getting off to slow starts has doomed the Bengals in the Zac-Taylor era, and I think the team is going to open up firing on all cylinders in Week 1 on offense.

I think the defense, under a new coordinator and with some new faces, will lag behind.

At first.

I don’t think the Bengals are going to have a defense ranked in the top 10 in the league, but I do think it will be improved from last year after a few-week-long adjustment period.

The Bengals will make the playoffs

I don’t know if they’re going to win the division—my crystal ball is very unclear on that point. However, I do think the Bengals have at least 10 wins, and I think that puts them in the playoffs, at least as a wildcard team. The AFC North is the toughest division in the league, and the Baltimore Ravens are favorites to win the division, and now Aaron Rodgers is in Pittsburgh.

That’s all they need, though. The Bengals don’t need a first-round bye to win the Super Bowl. They just need the opportunity to start their playoff record at 0-0 in January. If they can do that, and Burrow and his weapons are healthy, anything is possible.

I do think this team gets there, whether or not they make any noise while there is yet to be revealed to me.

Demetrius Knight Jr. becomes a fan favorite

I don’t think this is a bold prediction. His story is awesome, and he seems like an awesome kid. He says the right stuff, and I’m excited to see what he can bring to the defense. If I were going to buy a rookie’s jersey, it would be his.

Dan Pitcher’s name gets dropped as the league’s top head coach candidate

Another not-so-bold prediction. This is the natural benefit of being the offensive coordinator to Joe Burrow. Just ask Brian Callahan.

Evan McPherson has a bounce-back season

There were some special teams miscues in 2024, especially when it came to the kicking game. McPherson’s field goal percentage over his first three seasons averaged out to 83.8%, but that number dropped to 72.7% in Year 4.

There are a lot of moving parts in the kicking game, and it’s not always on the kicker, but I do think McPherson is Money Mac once again.

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My crystal ball ran out of batteries (I told you it sucked), so I’m tapped out on predictions for now. If all of these predictions were to come to pass, though, I think I’d be happy overall.

Relative Song Lyrics:

But nobody wins, afraid of losing
And the hard roads are the ones worth choosing
Someday we’ll look back and smile
And know it was worth every mile