The Cincinnati Bengals are a hard team to miss.

Joe Burrow is one of the most recognizable faces in the NFL, Ja’Marr Chase isn’t far behind in that regard and the Bengals have been a notable threat for the last few years.

Still, Pro Football Focus’ Dalton Wasserman argues that the national side of things might be overlooking the Bengals and focusing too much only on their record. One of the big factors? Injuries to key names last season:

“Higgins’ injuries last season played a large part in the Bengals’ lack of success. Cincinnati won eight of the 12 games he played in while losing four of the five that he missed. The Bengals can’t afford an extended absence from any of their offensive trifecta, but they are extremely dangerous when all three players are on the field.”

The writeup also notes that the Bengals lost a shocking seven of their 11 one-score games last season. If even a few of those had gone the other way, the Bengals easily make the playoffs.

Overlooked or not, the Bengals didn’t rest on bad luck as an excuse, re-tooling the coaching staff under Zac Taylor and making a bevy of roster changes while also getting Chase and Tee Higgins extensions.

If the Bengals have their way, it won’t be possible to overlook them in 2025.