Bengals fans will be furious at disrespect in latest record predictions

The 2024 season was a nightmare for the Cincinnati Bengals. Just two years removed from a conference championship appearance and three from a Super Bowl run, the team failed to make the playoffs.

Everything that could go wrong for the Bengals did, as the team lost seven games by just one score. They were impossibly unfortunate and still had a chance at making the playoffs on the final day of the regular season.

It was a season that no Bengals fan would want to relive, and yet USA Today is predicting the exact same result in 2025.

USA Today picks Bengals to finish 9-8 once again

USA Today just dropped their full record predictions for the 2025 season, and there are more than a few bold takes. One of the most egregious is the Bengals going 9-8 for the third straight season.

Yes, you read that right. Analyst Nate Davis has Cincinnati finishing third in the AFC North despite their stacked offense and improved defense. Davis says, "as much money as they’ve already spent this offseason, the Stripes seem to have fallen further behind Baltimore and Pittsburgh, teams that finished ahead of them last season."

It's not an outlandish take to pick the Baltimore Ravens to win the division. Whether Bengals fans like it or not, the Ravens have dominated the North over the last couple of seasons. But seeing this version of the Pittsburgh Steelers placed above Cincy is a tough pill to swallow.

Pittsburgh has taken big swings to improve their defense this offseason, but it's still one of the oldest groups in the league. It's hard to imagine that each of their defensive stars makes it through the season injury-free.

On offense, the Steelers are relying on 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers to lead them to the promised land. Rodgers is coming off a disastrous season with the Jets, and his play style is nearly the opposite of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's system. And outside of D.K. Metcalf, his weapons are suspect.

Still, Davis has the Steelers going 11-6 in 2025 and comfortably taking the sixth seed in the playoffs. He does have the Bengals sneaking into the final Wild Card slot, where they would play the Buffalo Bills in the first round of this hypothetical playoff scenario.

There's no denying that the Bengals still have holes on defense — enough holes to make fans concerned. But with Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins on offense, and a few improvements on defense, it's hard to imagine that Cincinnati would see the same results in 2025.