CINCINNATI

2017 | 7-9, 3rd in North Last year in playoffs | 2015

THREE PLAYERS WHO MUST COME THROUGH

QB Andy Dalton: In his eighth season, Dalton is coming off a bumpy 2017 when his team finished last in total yards and near the bottom in big plays. He didn’t get a lot of help from an anemic running game and porous offensive line.

RB Joe Mixon: In his second season, Mixon could become to the running game what A.J. Green is to Cincinnati’s passing game. Of course, a lot of that rests on the effectiveness of the offensive line.

DT Geno Atkins: He is a force in the middle and one of the NFL’s best interior pass rushers. Atkins has made it to four consecutive Pro Bowls and is key to the Bengals’ success on that side of the ball. THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH C Billy Price: Fixing the offensive line was a priority for the Bengals, who watched their former left tackle, Andrew Whitworth, lead a revival for the Rams last season. Price, a first-round pick, is the centerpiece of that rebuilding process. WR John Ross: He’s blistering fast, we all know that. But can Ross actually contribute to the passing game? The 2017 first-round pick had zero catches as a rookie.

LB Jordan Evans: A sixth-round pick in 2017, Evans was pressed into early duty as a rookie because of injuries. The results were mixed. He made some good plays but also got burned on several occasions. The Bengals are counting on him to step up. FANTASY SLEEPER WR Tyler Boyd: With the Bengals cutting Brandon LaFell, and Ross not yet proving himself, this could be a good year for the sure-handed Boyd, who was impressive at training camp.