We are just under one week away from the start of the NFL season, and the national media is starting to make their divisional predictions. The Cincinnati Bengals have been a trendy pick to win the division and have been picked, en masse, to at least finish second in the AFC North and make the playoffs.
Rich Eisen of the Rich Eisen Show picked the Bengals to win the division, noting that their stellar offense, led by Joe Burrow and bolstered by the addition of Dexter Lawrence on defense, will help them gain better field position to set up the offense.
His co-host, Chris Brockman, also picked the Bengals to win the division, while T.J. Jefferson, also on the show, picked the Baltimore Ravens.
Danny Parkins , who was in for Colin Cowherd on Thursday, picked the Bengals to win the division and grab the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoff picture behind the Buffalo Bills. He pointed out how the Bengals are 12-6 in games played with Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase , and Tee Higgins over the last two seasons, scoring just under 30 points a game. Parkins also clarified that he thinks it will be a tight race between the Bengals and Ravens in the division.
Chris Broussard picked the Baltimore Ravens to win the division , and Nick Wright, unsurprisingly, picked the Bengals to finish second with nine wins and ultimately miss the playoffs, as he has continued to express his disbelief that the Bengals can turn things around with a few defensive additions, which is well documented.
Former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings also believes the Ravens will win the division, mentioning Jesse Minter's defense being ranked No.1 in the preseason as a reason for confidence in the rookie head coach's scheme going into 2026.
The common theme is that national pundits believe it will be a two-team race in the AFC North between the Bengals and the Ravens. The Browns are thought to have the worst quarterback situation in the NFL. For the Steelers, there are thoughts that the loss of Mike Tomlin could have a bigger effect than a lot of people think, and Aaron Rodgers being 43 this season is raising a lot of concerns, with Wright even saying he doesn't believe Rodgers will finish the season, and that rookie quarterback Drew Allar will make starts by the end of the year.
I think one of the bigger advantages the Bengals have over the Ravens is a veteran head coach. Rookie head coaches in the NFL have historically had a limited ceiling for success, as they have won the Super Bowl just twice in NFL history, in 1971 and 1990.
