Cris Collinsworth names 1 NFL team that could be this year’s Bengals

Jan 1, 2017; Detroit, MI, USA; NBC Sports broadcaster Cris Collinsworth before the game between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Bengals had a 4-11-1 record in 2020 and appeared to be at the beginning of a rebuild after selecting quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase as their first-round picks in 2020 and 2021. But less than a year later, the Bengals had made a huge turnaround and were playing in the Super Bowl.

NBC “Sunday Night Football” game analyst Cris Collinsworth believes another AFC team can make a similar turnaround this season.

Collinsworth mentioned on Thursday’s episode of “The Cris Collinsworth Podcast” that the New York Jets are a team that could find themselves contending for a Super Bowl in 2022 after going 4-13 a year ago.

“If there’s a team out there that could make a jump this year and surprise everybody…the Jets, maybe they’re that team this year,” Collinsworth said.

A big reason Collinsworth can see a big turnaround for the Jets is because he thinks quarterback Zach Wilson is poised for a second-year breakout.

The Jets had a similar record to what the Bengals had the year before their meteoric rise to an AFC Championship, and have added talent through free agency and the draft to bolster their roster.

Gang Green drafted three potential cornerstone players in cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, wide receiver Garrett Wilson, and defensive end Jermaine Johnson. They also signed former Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah.

But whether or not the Jets make the significant strides Collinsworth is talking about depends on Zach Wilson’s play in his second season.

Wilson threw for nine touchdowns and 2,334 yards in 13 games last season. He doesn’t necessarily need to throw for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns as Burrow did in his sophomore season, but the Jets might not even make the postseason if Wilson fails to improve. There is another analyst who strongly disagrees with Collinsworth.