I believe in the Cincinnati Bengals this season. After a slow start, the Bengals have won several big games in a row, bringing their record to a strong 9-4 and tying for the division lead with the Baltimore Ravens. I predict that the Bengals will return to the Super Bowl in 2023 and take on the 12-1 Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles have the best record in the NFL and have looked unstoppable in the past few weeks, led by third-year quarterback Jalen Hurts.

They have a top offense and a top defense, led by stars like wide receiver A.J. Brown and veteran cornerback Darius Slay. The Bengals would surely have their work cut out for them if this matchup played out on Super Bowl Sunday. Here’s why I think the Cincinnati Bengals will take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. For this article, I will format my argument in three parts for each team: why they have won so far, why they will win in the playoffs, and why the other teams will not do better than them. Stay tuned for my Super Bowl winner prediction at the end of the article!

Why the Bengals have won so far:

• The Bengals are the hottest team in the conference right now. Sure, the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs have better records, but the Bengals have won their last five games in a row, one of which was against the aforementioned Chiefs. With strong quarterback play from Joe Burrow and finally getting star receiver Ja’Marr Chase back from a hip injury, the team looks strong heading into the waning weeks of the regular season.

Why the Bengals will win in the playoffs:

• Again, with a victory over the Kansas City Chiefs not too long ago, the Bengals have already accomplished an incredible feat. In the playoffs, the Chiefs may have to play the Bengals again – they are 0-3 in their three all-time matchups against Joe Burrow. The Buffalo Bills have struggled in their past few games, and a team like the Bengals could be on watch to defeat them in a continuation of their hot streak.

Why the other teams will not beat the Bengals:

• The Bengals are hungry this season. With a loss to the Los Angeles Rams last year in Super Bowl LVI, the Bengals want more than anything to go back. They have shown it consistently in their past five games after a 4-4 start to the year. They are now 9-4, tied with the Baltimore Ravens for the division lead and the third best record in the conference.
• Most of the contenders in their conference have been stalling out; the Bills have struggled to win what should be easy matchups, the Chiefs have lost all matchups against Burrow, the Ravens have lost star quarterback Lamar Jackson for the next few weeks due to injury, etc. The Bengals have performed the best out of the contenders most recently, and I think that will continue into the playoffs.

Now onto the Philadelphia Eagles, a team with the best record in the NFL and a quarterback with a strong case for the MVP award. They are currently the #1 seed in the NFC and are also on a hot streak, winning their last four games. They have a 12-1 record on the year and look to continue their winning ways into the postseason after clinching a spot in the playoffs this Sunday with a 48-22 demolition of the New York Giants.

Why the Eagles have won so far:

• Philadelphia has one of the best rosters in the NFL, simply put. The team is loaded with stars, such as quarterback Jalen Hurts (the NFL MVP favorite), his favorite receiving target A.J. Brown, one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, and a defense that leads the NFL in interceptions, sacks, quarterback rating allowed… the list goes on. Pair that with an offense that leads the league in total touchdowns, and you have yourself a Super Bowl contender.

Why the Eagles will continue to win:

• The Eagles already have a hold of the #1 seed in the conference, and it would take a lot for a team to wrench that away from them in the last four games of the season. They are two games ahead of their competition AND they hold a tiebreaker over the #2 Minnesota Vikings after shutting them down in Philadelphia during the second week of the season.
• This #1 spot grants them a first round bye and the opportunity to play the lowest ranked team still remaining in the playoffs by the divisional round. They would only need two playoff victories to reach the Super Bowl, which gives them a massive advantage over the other teams, who need three. In addition, the #1 ranked team in either conference has historically made the Super Bowl 68% of the time. That’s a pretty good chance.

Why the other teams will not beat the Eagles:

• Here are the main competitors for the Eagles. The Minnesota Vikings, #2 team in the conference, were dismantled in Week 2 by the Eagles and recently lost to the 6-7 Detroit Lions. The San Francisco 49ers, #3, have an insane defense, but their offense has suffered several key injuries, including one to their starting quarterback, and then another one to their backup quarterback, and then another one to HIS backup quarterback.
• The Dallas Cowboys have recently struggled in the playoffs and will have already played the Eagles twice this season should they face each other in the postseason (they lost 26-17 to the Eagles in October and are set to take them on once again on Christmas Eve). The Eagles have a clear path to the Super Bowl, but they’ll have to keep up their momentum to take out the other contenders.

And now that we’ve reached the end of my article, here is my Super Bowl prediction!

Eagles 33, Bengals 27

This would be a good matchup if it happens as I predict it to, but ultimately I think the Eagles offense would be too strong for the Bengals to handle. In addition, the Eagles defense has played so well that it would certainly be difficult to score on them.

The Bengals have shown that they end up in more shootouts than defensive games when playing tough matchups, and so I predict a high-scoring battle between two of the best teams in the NFL. As an Eagles fan and Bengals supporter (as long as they aren’t playing the Eagles), I am certainly looking forward to the NFL postseason!

Go Birds! Who Dey! Yay Sports!