National Football League

Are Chargers poised to make same leap as Bengals?

Updated Jan. 17, 2023 9:31 a.m. ET

The Cincinnati Bengals made an improbable run to the Super Bowl last season.

Now, the NFL world will likely key in on who could be this year's version of Cincy — but Colin Cowherd already has it figured out.

On Friday, Cowherd said he believes the team most likely to mimic the Bengals' surprise run this upcoming season is the Los Angeles Chargers and gave seven reasons why.

"Last year, all my betting guys thought the Chargers were the dark horse Super Bowl team," Cowherd said. "At the time, I said, 'They have a rookie head coach. You can't pick a rookie head coach to win the Super Bowl.' If you look at the previous 10-15 Super Bowl winners, there are not a lot of rookie head coaches in there.

"I do think Year 2 for a coach, you kind of get into it. You get into a rhythm, you know the quarterback better, you know your personnel better, and they've gone out and spent big money on a corner and an edge rusher."

Why 2022 Chargers are the next 2021 Bengals

Colin Cowherd explains why the Los Angeles Chargers are the next Cincinnati Bengals, a team poised to make a deep — yet surprising — run in the playoffs.

To say the Bengals made a big jump last season is an understatement.

In 2020, they averaged just 19.4 points (29th in the NFL), 215.5 passing yards (27th in the NFL), turned the ball over 24 times (24th in the NFL), and only generated 72 plays of 10-plus yard rushes or 20-plus yard pass completions all season.

Cincy only had six games with 350-plus total yards in a game and finished last in the AFC North, with an overall record of 4-11-1.

Defensively, the Bengals allowed 26.5 points per game (22nd in the NFL) and gave up 389.2 yards per game (26th in the NFL), 148.0 rushing yards per game (29th in the NFL), and only recorded 17 sacks all season, which was last in the league. They also gave up 25 or more points in nine games during the 2020 season.

But last season, the switch appeared to flip.

Cincy averaged 27.1 points (7th in the NFL) and jumped to the front of the pack in passing yards per game with 259.0, primarily due to the return of Joe Burrow after tearing his ACL in 2020. The Bengals also had 103 big plays in 2021.

Last season's Chargers, unlike the 2020 Bengals, weren't a bad team. They finished 9-8 overall, and went 3-3 in the difficult AFC West. They also finished 5-4 against teams that made the playoffs.

L.A. had the second-best passing attack in the league (282.4 YPG) and were fifth in the league in points per game (27.9).

But defensively, the Chargers struggled.

They allowed 27.0 PPG (T-29th in the NFL) and 360.1 yards per game (23rd in the NFL). Their rush defense was at the bottom of the league, allowing 138.9 yards per game, and they also allowed opposing teams to convert 49.5% of third-down conversions.

Can L.A. flip the same switch that Cincy did?

If so, maybe they will meet their in-town rivals in the big game.