Analyst lays out bold prediction for 2026 Bengals season

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor speaks to the press at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Cincinnati Bengals offseason will be defined by a few things. One thing that cannot be argued is that they have put a decent amount of their capital into winning now.

So it isn’t surprising to see more of the national media start to finally come around after looking at what upgrading the defense means for this team. Fox Sports writer Eric Williams included them in his bold predictions for the season. It is exactly what fans are hoping for.

Bengals make a deep playoff run In the offseason, the Bengals finally went all in and spent major resources to fix an ailing defense, trading with the New York Giants for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. They also signed defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and edge rusher Boye Mafe, along with safeties Bryan Cook, Kyle Dugger and Ja’Sir Taylor in free agency. The Bengals added defensive linemen Cashius Howell and Landon Robinson, along with cornerback Tacario Davis, in the draft.

So, the defense should be much better than No. 31 in total defense, which is where the Bengals finished last season. The thing many detractors forget is that the offensive line was actually pretty good for Joe Burrow.