2015 NFL Preview: Bengals desperate for deep postseason run

AFC Previews
BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ
BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT
HOU | IND | JAX | TEN
DEN | KC | OAK | SD
NFC Previews
DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS
CHI | DET | GB | MIN
ATL | CAR | NO | TB
ARI | STL | SF | SEA

Cincinnati Bengals

Watching the Bengals work hard all season only to have their Super Bowl aspirations stomped out on wild-card weekend has become an annual event. The last four seasons have ended with a one-and-done performance from Cincinnati in the playoffs, and it's fair to wonder whether this team will ever make a deep playoff run with Andy Dalton at the helm.

Highlight of 2014

Jeremy Hill was unstoppable down the stretch, totaling 395 yards over the last three weeks of the season, including this 85-yard touchdown run against the Denver Broncos in Week 16.

Preseason Power Ranking - #10

The Bengals aren't a bad team; they wouldn't have advanced to the playoffs in four consecutive seasons if they were. That said, the fact that they haven't been able to win a postseason game under Marvin Lewis is concerning. More ...

2015 Season Outlook

Schedule | Roster

Head Coach: Marvin Lewis
Off. Coordinator: Hue Jackson
Def. Coordinator: Paul Guenther

The Bengals' continued presence in the postseason has helped Marvin Lewis become the second-longest tenured head coach in the NFL. Entering his 13th year with the Bengals, Lewis needs to lead his club to the next level, or the franchise may look for someone else who can.

Understanding the limitations of his quarterback, Hue Jackson started to lean heavily on the run game last season. Jeremy Hill has the ability to be a workhorse back, and Gio Bernard is an excellent change of pace option. With one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, Cincinnati will try to control contests and limit the need for Andy Dalton to win games with his arm.

Key Additions

• DE Michael Johnson
• LB A.J. Hawk
• OT Cedric Ogbuehi
• OT Jake Fisher
• QB Josh Johnson
• WR Denarius Moore

Key Departures

• TE Jermaine Gresham
• CB Terence Newman
• S Taylor Mays
• DE Robert Geathers
• WR Greg Little
• QB Jason Campbell

Michael Johnson's year-long stint in Tampa Bay was a failure. and now he returns to a Cincinnati defense that finished last in the league with 20 sacks last season. He'll be playing alongside Geno Atkins, who should be back to form, now two years removed from a torn ACL.

The Bengals chose to use their first two draft picks on offensive tackles, in part to provide depth on their line, but also to guard against the potential free-agent departures of Andrew Whitworth and Andre Smith. The result should be a dominant blocking unit, capable of weathering injuries.

Bold Predictions

Jeremy Hill will win the rushing crown. On paper, sharing a backfield with Gio Bernard could prevent Hill from challenging for the league lead in rushing yards, but anyone who watched the team last year knows Hill is the unquestioned starter. He used his blend of speed and power to post five 100-yard games over the last nine weeks of 2014. Working behind a strong offensive line, Hill will fuel the Bengals' attack en route to his first rushing title. - Justin Boone

Marvin Lewis will be fired mid season. With the Ravens and Steelers set to lap the Bengals once again, owner Mike Brown's patience will finally run out. Marvin Lewis, deservedly or not, will take the brunt of the blame as the Bengals sit on the cusp of a breakthrough. - Arun Srinivasan

Carlos Dunlap will finish with a dozen sacks. Dunlap was a half-sack shy of tying Ndamukong Suh for the most sacks by a rookie in 2010. While he has never reached double-digits in sacks, he's just eight away from moving into No. 2 on the Bengals' all-time list. He'll achieve that this season, and set a career high in the process. - Caitlyn Holroyd