Getty Image / Nick Cammett
or the second-straight year, the Cincinnati Bengals had a great season, but came up just short of the franchise’s Super Bowl, losing in the final seconds of the AFC Championship Game to the Kansas City Chiefs. They’ve established themselves as one of the best teams in the league, without a doubt.
Everyone focuses on the Cincinnati Bengals offense, and for good reason. Joe Burrow is one of the best handful of quarterbacks in the league after just three years. And, coupled with a receiving corps of studs like JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins and good role players like Tyler Boyd and newly acquired tight end Irv Smith Jr., plus an offensive line that has been invested in heavily over the past few years, it’s one of the top units in the NFL. But, the defense is pretty underrated as well.
Last year, the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense was ranked 5th in scoring defense, giving up just 19.7 points per game. And, a lot of that had to do with the excellent play of cornerback Chidobe Suzie. Awuzie is the Bengals top cover guy, and is one of the NFL’s most underrated defensive players. But, he tore his ACL in week 8 against the Browns. They could’ve really used him down the stretch, especially in the loss against Kansas City.
But, Awuzie expects to be back for the start of the 2023 season, providing a huge boost to their defense.
Bengals CB Chidobe Awuzie, who underwent ACL surgery in November, said he hasn’t faced any setbacks in his rehab and his goal is to be ready for the start of training camp.
“I want to be a better player than last year. I don’t want my ACL or any injury I’ve had to hinder that.”
— Keith Jenkins (@MrKeithJenkins) April 17, 2023
Awuzie spoke to Jay Morrison of The Athletic.
“I’m pretty much on schedule with everything they have planned for me,” Awuzie said, via Jay Morrison of TheAthletic.com. “I’ve ran. I’ve jumped. I’ve lifted. It’s just a matter of time now. I feel really good. I’m excited where I’m at. I thank God I haven’t really had any plateaus, haven’t really had any setbacks.”
If he can stay healthy, that will significantly help the Cincinnati Bengals finally capture that elusive Lombardi Trophy.