6 Reasons Cincinnati Bengals Will Be Successful in the Playoffs

The Cincinnati Bengals can win the Super Bowl.

The NFL is known for parity, but it hasn't been too often that Cincinnati has put together a team in the past 10 years capable of lifting the Lombardi Trophy.

The Bengals were one of the hottest teams in the NFL in 2005. Then Carson Palmer went down in the playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Cincinnati was never able to again reach those heights.

It's now without Palmer that the team is enjoying another period of success. In addition, his exit has set the Bengals up offensively for possibly the next decade.

When Palmer refused to play, rookie Andy Dalton took the reins, and the former TCU Horned Frog hasn't looked back. He led Cincinnati to the playoffs last year, only to lose in the Wild Card Round to the Houston Texans.

This is a different year, and the Bengals are a much-improved team.

They might not have the kind of talent that the Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons or New England Patriots have, but in a do-or-die situation Cincinnati can more than hold its own.

Here's six reasons why the Bengals can be successful in the playoffs.

1. Experience

Last year was supposed to be about rebuilding the franchise. As much as parity exists in the league, some years the main goal is to set up success in the future.

Many of the key players that won the 2009 AFC North title were gone or had diminished in quality. Cincinnati wasn't ready to make a deep run in the postseason, and it showed in their 31-10 loss to the Houston Texans.

Carson Palmer was sitting at home, refusing to play until he was traded, so the Bengals started rookie Andy Dalton from the first snap of the season. In addition, you had first-round draft pick A.J. Green getting used to the NFL as well.

No rookie quarterback in the history of the league has led his team to a Super Bowl title. It was unrealistic to expect Andy Dalton to be the first.

2. Making Amends for Last Season

As much as making the playoffs was a success last year, that didn't outweigh the sting of getting beaten by the Texans. The defense was torn apart by Arian Foster, who ran for 153 yards and two touchdowns.

Dalton in particular was poor. Although he threw for 257 yards, the rookie was picked off three times. The first one was intercepted by J.J. Watt and returned for a touchdown close to the end of the first half.

The Bengals never recovered from that touchdown as they were shut out in the second half.

Last season was a bit of a fluke.

Cincinnati is at least a year away from hitting its peak. However, the 2012 version of the Bengals is without a doubt a better football team, and they'll no doubt remember that postseason embarrassment last year.

3. Andy Dalton & A.J. Green

Dalton may not be an elite quarterback, but he and Green have formed an elite duo.

The 2011 draft may prove to be one of the greatest in Cincinnati's history. The team selected Green in the first round and Dalton in the second.

In just two years Green has already become of the league's best receivers. He's second in the NFL in receiving touchdowns and eighth in receiving yards.

His and Dalton's inexperience showed last year in the playoffs. Green only managed five receptions and 47 yards in the loss to the Texans.

As these two improve, so will the Bengals as a whole. Their jump in quality from year one to year two is there for everybody to see.

4. Improved Run Blocking

Last year, the Bengals had a more than below-average offensive line when it came to run blocking. Football Outsiders ranked them 20th in the league.

Cedric Benson deserves a ton of credit for eclipsing a thousand yards in 2011.

Making holes for the running back was an obvious concern for management in the offseason, and as a result the front office was very aggressive.

The Bengals let Benson leave as a free agent, choosing instead to sign BenJarvus Green-Ellis. They also selected offensive guard Kevin Zeitler in the first round of the draft.

As a result, fans have seen a much improved line in 2012. They're up 13 spots to seventh going into this past week in terms run blocking rankings.

Dalton and Green are going to be the catalysts offensively, but Green-Ellis has been extremely good at changing the pace and spelling the air attack.

5. Pass Rush

Cincinnati's defensive line might not be littered with big names, but it's managed to be one of the best in the league. Geno Atkins has picked up 13 sacks, which leads all defensive tackles.

A great pass rush can be a huge asset, especially when going against elite quarterbacks.

Rule changes are making it harder and harder to blanket receivers in the secondary. The easiest way to throw off an opposing air attack is quickly becoming to get pressure on the quarterback.

As a result, you force him into making a quick judgement, which can result in a poor throw, leading to an interception.

Considering the Bengals are looking at a playoffs that includes Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Matt Schaub and Andrew Luck, they'll need the front seven to continue its fantastic play throughout the season.

6. Momentum

The Bengals have been a team of streaks in 2012. They lost their first game, won their next three, lost their next four, won their next four, lost one and have now won their last two games.

If Green and his receivers would have made some critical catches in Week 14 against the Dallas Cowboys, then Cincinnati would be riding a seven-game winning streak.

The end of the season was shaping up to be dramatic no matter how it played out.

It presented the possibility of major heartache for the Bengals and their fans. However, picking up a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, then turning around and avenging the Week 1 loss to the Baltimore Ravens could be put the team on track for playoff success.

Positive momentum can be a huge asset in the postseason.

Baltimore presents a huge test. The Bengals were throttled, 44-13, in the last matchup between the two teams.

Avenging that loss would make Cincinnati one of the hottest teams going into the playoffs.