The Cincinnati Bengals made an unbelievable run to the Tremendous Bowl final season.
Now, the NFL world will seemingly key in on who might be this yr's model of Cincy — however Colin Cowherd already has it found out.
On Friday, Cowherd mentioned he believes the staff probably to imitate the Bengals' shock run this upcoming season is the Los Angeles Chargers and gave seven the explanation why.
"Final yr, all my betting guys thought the Chargers had been the darkish horse Tremendous Bowl staff," Cowherd mentioned. "On the time, I mentioned, 'They've a rookie head coach. You may't decide a rookie head coach to win the Tremendous Bowl.' When you have a look at the earlier 10-15 Tremendous Bowl winners, there usually are not a whole lot of rookie head coaches in there.
"I do suppose 12 months 2 for a coach, you sort of get into it. You get right into a rhythm, you realize the quarterback higher, you realize your personnel higher, and so they've gone out and spent large cash on a nook and an edge rusher."
Why 2022 Chargers are the subsequent 2021 Bengals
Colin Cowherd explains why the Los Angeles Chargers are the subsequent Cincinnati Bengals, a staff poised to make a deep — but stunning — run within the playoffs.
To say the Bengals made a giant leap final season is an understatement.
In 2020, they averaged simply 19.4 factors (Twenty ninth within the NFL), 215.5 passing yards (twenty seventh within the NFL), turned the ball over 24 instances (twenty fourth within the NFL), and solely generated 72 performs of 10-plus yard rushes or 20-plus yard cross completions all season.
Cincy solely had six video games with 350-plus complete yards in a recreation and completed final within the AFC North, with an total report of 4-11-1.
Defensively, the Bengals allowed 26.5 factors per recreation (twenty second within the NFL) and gave up 389.2 yards per recreation (twenty sixth within the NFL), 148.0 speeding yards per recreation (Twenty ninth within the NFL), and solely recorded 17 sacks all season, which was final within the league. Additionally they gave up 25 or extra factors in 9 video games in the course of the 2020 season.
However final season, the change appeared to flip.
Cincy averaged 27.1 factors (seventh within the NFL) and jumped to the entrance of the pack in passing yards per recreation with 259.0, primarily as a result of return of Joe Burrow after tearing his ACL in 2020. The Bengals additionally had 103 large performs in 2021.
Final season's Chargers, not like the 2020 Bengals, weren't a foul staff. They completed 9-8 total, and went 3-3 within the tough AFC West. Additionally they completed 5-4 in opposition to groups that made the playoffs.
L.A. had the second-best passing assault within the league (282.4 YPG) and had been fifth within the league in factors per recreation (27.9).
However defensively, the Chargers struggled.
They allowed 27.0 PPG (T-Twenty ninth within the NFL) and 360.1 yards per recreation (twenty third within the NFL). Their rush protection was on the backside of the league, permitting 138.9 yards per recreation, and so they additionally allowed opposing groups to transform 49.5% of third-down conversions.
Can L.A. flip the identical change that Cincy did?
In that case, possibly they'll meet their in-town rivals within the large recreation.
