The Cincinnati Bengals went from worst to first in 2021 as Zac Taylor's team scorched its way to the Super Bowl, coming up just shy of hoisting a Lombardi Trophy.
The Bengals finished in the cellar of the AFC North in Taylor's first two seasons as head coach before earning a 10-7 record last season on their way to Super Bowl LVI. With training camp kicking off this week, Taylor told Geoff Hobson of the team's official website he knows Cincy won't be sneaking up on anyone this season.
"Well, we know we're not going to surprise anybody," Taylor said. "I can't speak for other teams. I don't know if we surprised them or not. I hope they saw a good team on tape in Week 1. But this year, certainly, I think people are more aware of the type of team we can be, and we have to prove that.
"We have a lot of work yet to go to make sure we can meet our own expectations and continue to raise our standard. That it just doesn't come based on what you did the previous year. There is going to be a ton of work that's got to be done over these next 45 days to make sure we're ready for Week 1 against Pittsburgh."
The Bengals famously won their first playoff game in 31 seasons last year. But repeating that run is easier said than done. The last team to lose the Super Bowl and return the following season was the 2018 New England Patriots. All-time, just eight teams have returned after losing the big game.
The Bengals were the fourth team to make the Super Bowl after recording fewer than five wins in the season prior (1999 Rams are the only such team to win a Super Bowl).
Expectations are sky high in Cincinnati with Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and an explosive offense. The NFL clearly believes in the Bengals' ability to remain among the AFC's best teams, giving them five prime-time games in 2022 (tied for most in the NFL and the most in Bengals franchise history).
The Bengals proved last year they could storm back after getting down early, including overcoming a 21-3 deficit to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. In 2022, Taylor hopes for more consistency from the jump.
"We certainly didn't always start some games the way we want to," he said. "We did a really good job of finishing. We had a lot of production late in the first half, but I think now the next step for this offense in its entirety is to really build some leads early and score points early in the game. The best brand of football is playing with a lead. That's an area we can certainly improve on."
The Bengals have the third-toughest strength of schedule in 2022 based on their opponents' .536 win percent in 2021 (toughest in AFC). Their final eight games this season are against either divisional opponents or 2021 playoff teams. If they're going to return to the Super Bowl, they'll have to earn it.
With training camp practices kicking off, Taylor and the Bengals are ready to "turn the page and work toward this year."
"I think everybody knows how it ended, and we're ready to attack the new year," Taylor said.
NFL+ gives you the freedom to watch LIVE out-of-market preseason games, LIVE local and prime-time regular-season and postseason games on your phone or tablet, the best NFL programming on-demand and more! Wherever you are, this is how you football! Learn more about NFL+.