John Harbaugh Says Cincinnati Bengals Are 'Most Talented Team in the League'

There are many talent-laden teams in the NFL, but if you ask Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, no squad compares to the Cincinnati Bengals in that regard.  

Harbaugh and the Ravens need a win in Week 3 to avoid a dreaded 0-3 start, and he believes his team will face the ultimate challenge when it hosts the Bengals on Sunday. According to ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley, Harbaugh said, "I'll tell you, I do believe [Cincinnati] is the most talented team in the league."

The Bengals are 2-0 and atop the AFC North after defeating the Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers. They have qualified for the playoffs four years in a row and in five of the past six seasons, but they have been ousted in the Wild Card Round each time.

Despite those postseason failures, Harbaugh marvels at the depth and makeup of the Bengals roster, per Hensley:

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We have great respect for them, for their coaches [and] the way they play. Obviously, it starts with [wide receiver] A.J. Green, but the whole cast of characters there on offense is very talented and gifted—tight ends, running backs, quarterback. The whole group is very good, and they have a heck of an offensive line. I'd say they're the complete package, talent-wise.

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There is no question Cincinnati has plenty of weapons on offense, such as running backs Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard, wide receivers A.J. Green, Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones, and tight end Tyler Eifert.

Quarterback Andy Dalton has been among the team's biggest question marks in recent years, but he is off to a solid start in 2015, throwing for five touchdowns and zero interceptions in his first two games.

Cincinnati has also boasted a consistently strong defense during head coach Marvin Lewis' lengthy tenure, and it ranks sixth in total defense so far this season.

Lewis replied to Harbaugh's comments during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio:

The Bengals may not be the first choice of most when it comes to choosing the NFL's most talented team, but Marcus Hartman of Fox Sports sees some merit in Harbaugh's comments:

Some might argue that teams such as the New England Patriots, the Seattle Seahawks, the Green Bay Packers and the Denver Broncos are ahead of the Bengals due to the recent success they have enjoyed, but pure talent doesn't necessarily lead to wins in big games.

The Bengals know that firsthand due to their playoff failures, and Harbaugh is undoubtedly hopeful the postseason version of the Bengals will show up Sunday.

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