Joe Burrow, Bengals Clinch 1st AFC North Title Since 2015 with Win over Chiefs

The Cincinnati Bengals are back in the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2015.

Cincinnati clinched the AFC North title following a 34-31 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

The arrival of quarterback Joe Burrow and the hiring of head coach Zac Taylor signaled a new era for the Bengals. The franchise stagnated toward the end of his tenure, but Marvin Lewis undoubtedly raised the bar during his 16 years on the sideline.

Unfortunately for fans, 2020 became a lost season the moment Burrow suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee. The parallels to Carson Palmer's knee injury in the 2005 season were all too real.

Burrow returned and has shown why he was the No. 1 overall pick coming out of LSU. The second-year signal-caller has thrown for 4,611 yards, 34 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

He and former Tigers teammate Ja'Marr Chase have formed a particularly potent duo. Chase's 1,429 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns are first on the team.

Not to be outdone, Joe Mixon and Tee Higgins have been critical figures on offense as well. Mixon is among the NFL's leaders in rushing yards (1,205), while Higgins has hauled in 74 passes for 1,091 yards and six touchdowns.

As much as Cincinnati's electric offense grabs the headlines, a revamped defense might be the biggest reason the team stands a good chance of winning its first postseason game since 1990.

In 2020, the Bengals allowed 389.2 yards and 26.5 points per game, finishing 27th in defensive efficiency at Football Outsiders. The team responded by signing Trey Hendrickson, Chidobe Awuzie, Larry Ogunjobi, Eli Apple and Mike Hilton.

Hendrickson punched his ticket to his first Pro Bowl thanks to a career-high 14 sacks, more than filling the void left by Carl Lawson's departure. Ogunjobi (seven sacks) has also provided steady pass-rushing from the interior.

Awuzie has been the standout performer in the secondary, registering two interceptions and 14 pass breakups.

Relatively speaking, the Bengals are still a bit of a long shot to win Super Bowl LVI. They're +2800 (bet $100 to win $2,800) at DraftKings Sportsbook, the 11th-best championship moneyline.

But the fanbase isn't expecting a title. Taylor earning the playoff win that eluded Lewis would qualify as a success. And what Cincy has achieved to this point has laid the groundwork for 2022 and beyond.

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