The Cincinnati Bengals have playoff ambitions in 2018, hence continuity at certain spots and aggressive changes at others.

With the return of Marvin Lewis and the avoidance of threatening Andy Dalton, it’s clear the front office fancies itself in win-now mode. Overhauling the coaching staff and aggressively trading for a left tackle were admissions of faults and a willingness to change.

For NFL.com’s Adam Rank, the changes are enough to predict the Bengals make the playoffs in 2018. Rank lists five reasons as to why the Bengals will get where they want to go:

New offensive line Breakout sophomores Andy Dalton Teryl Austin William Jackson

The good news is these are all superb reasons to think the Bengals get back to the playoffs.

The bad news is some could backfire.

A new offensive line should be better, but left tackle Cordy Glenn has a spotty injury history and the right side is an unknown. John Ross and Joe Mixon should have breakout years, but the former has an injury history of his own.

While Dalton is a good starter, he’s reliant on the talent around him, hence the rookie-esque numbers last year. Coaches have even admitted they’re still working with him on staying poised under pressure…going into his eighth year.

Austin has an impressive resume, but he’s also said he isn’t changing much. He’s probably your successor to Lewis, but the defense should remain the same — which isn’t a bad thing.

William Jackson is William Jackson, so no worries there.

The point is, plenty suggests the Bengals should get back to contending and there’s nothing wrong to point it out. But as confidence before last season showed, talent on a roster doesn’t always equate to success on the field.