As Bengals fans wipe the tears away from our eyes after the Super Bowl, we have come to terms with what happened at the end of the season. While some of Who Dey Nation blame refs and other factors, the more sensible of us are looking to the future. These next few years will be a new era for the National Football League. Many teams have young quarterbacks, and this year's playoffs were one of the best ever. Many can say with confidence that these coming years will be interesting, to say the least.
The Bengals need to make changes to not put themselves in the position to lose again. The main problem that needs addressing is our offensive line. It is abysmal. During the Titans game, Joe Burrow was sacked nine times. Even though we ended up winning that game, it wasn’t a satisfying win. To be an effective quarterback, you need a strong O-line. Once we get a strong O-line, we can truly see the full potential of Joe.
Another issue of concern people are bringing up is cornerback Eli Apple. While I think that he was sleepwalking during the Super Bowl and could have easily and properly defended Cooper Kupp on the last play of the game, he is not so bad that he needs to be traded. If this issue persists, then he should be traded, but I give him the benefit of the doubt and think he was just not prepared for the Super Bowl.
While this defeat was soul-crushing, this is not the end of the Bengals. With a few changes, I feel that we will shake the whole league up. These coming years will be a new era for the NFL, with the Bengals hopefully ruling it all.