Cincinnati Bengals. This is the obvious answer, as it’s a bummer when the team with one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks (Joe Burrow), the receiving triple crown winner (Ja’Marr Chase) and the NFL’s sack leader (Trey Hendrickson) is on the outside looking in. Plus, it would certainly be fun to watch opposing offenses torch the Bengals’ iffy defense. As it is, we’ll have to wait until next season to know whether a defensive overhaul (including the firing of defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo) will bear any dividends. Doug Farrar
Cincinnati Bengals. Burrow delivered an MVP-caliber season and Chase achieved the rare triple crown of receiving, but the Bengals’ five-game win streak to end the regular season wasn’t enough to cancel out their 4-8 start, inconsistent play on both lines and a dismal 4-7 record in one-score games.