The Cincinnati Bengals’ front office officially revived the fan base.In responding to The Athletic’s annual fan survey this month, taking the temperature of trust in the franchise, the results show a base leaving three consecutive seasons outside of the playoffs behind and instead feeling momentum from the most aggressive offseason in franchise history.The aggressive overhaul of the defense, highlighted by the trade for Dexter Lawrence, didn’t eliminate all caution, but Bengals fans appear eager to buy in again.What I’ve come to enjoy most about this annual exercise, now dating back to 2020, is watching the rise and fall of individual members and aspects of the organization depending on what transpired each year.How Cincinnati Bengals prepare Joe Burrow to exploit NFL defensesRobert MaysIn this case, coming off the most startling expression of frustration and distrust, it’s clear the reaction to last year’s 6-11 disappointment has begun to erase the scars it left behind.The results of a survey with 1,440 participants this year pinpointed who is directly responsible for their excitement, who they are still concerned about, plus many areas that are overwhelmingly keeping them up at night (hello, linebackers).This year illustrated as much as any since 2022 the level of anticipation of the fans and, consequently, pressure on the team to make this all-in season work.Fans are prepared for a return to the playoff stages of 2021-’22. They are also set up to be hurt again.Let’s take a look at the results, starting with the confidence rankings over time.These two questions serve as the North Star for Bengals’ vibes throughout the survey. We’ll break down individual aspects in this story, but these are the two general numbers that pinpoint how bought-in fans are to where the club stands.Cautiously optimistic would seem to be the state of affairs. They rebounded from all-time lows last year, but not quite back to the feeling of invincibility that came from thinking as long as Joe Burrow is healthy at quarterback, this team will win.A good offseason only provides half of the climb back to the highs of the early portion of the decade; actually winning again will likely put these numbers back into the 80s next year.As for breaking down the individual components of what trended up and stayed the same, the movement follows the same theory.The vitriol directed at ownership and the corner offices at Paycor Stadium hit new levels last offseason. The natives were restless and the torches lit. This offseason hit the opposite nerves. The bold moves cut the blame in half, with the ratings of 1 or 2 dropping from 80 percent to 40 percent.Moves like the trade for Lawrence might only serve as Band-Aids to the bigger picture of failures on the field, but for this temporary moment, the Bengals will take it.Make no mistake, this offseason restored faith in de facto GM Duke Tobin more than anyone in the building. He shifts from 54 percent of respondents rating him at the two lowest levels to just 20 percent. Before his firing-line press conference in January, he’d never felt more on the hot seat during his tenure in Cincinnati, both from ownership and the fans.That tension has been relieved for now.All eyes now turn to head coach Zac Taylor. Interestingly, the fan base's faith hasn’t changed much for him. Any movement from last year was negligible despite his first losing season since 2020. Taylor received a pass with Tobin taking the heat for lack of talent last year.If the Bengals miss the playoffs again, those numbers won’t be the same for the head coach. The name might not be, either.After two straight years of fans recognizing the team didn’t do enough in the offseason, the Bengals returned to levels experienced at the beginning of the decade.Good vibes filling the social media channels in the wake of the Lawrence deal were also reflected here. Fans clearly approve of the execution this time around, with 90 percent in the top two spots, a long way from just 8.5 percent last year.Creeping back toward previous highs but still a long way away. The on-field scars inhibit the buy-in. I guarantee this will be all the way back next July if the Bengals can produce another series of winning moments in December and January.A good reminder that fans knew last year was going to happen before it did. Their expectations were lower, they saw the holes and they heard the distractions. They called it.This year, quite different. They are calling the shot again, this time in the other direction.How’s this for a tangible pressure cooker of expectations: 75 percent realistically expect to at least reach the final four. That’s way up from 46 percent last year.As for capturing the franchise’s first Lombardi Trophy, you can still see the skepticism present with what happened on the field, but the buy-back matches with the rest of the results. Hope is trending.Burrow expressed confidence in the offensive line, the first time the same five will start in front of him in his career. The fans are following suit. For those who say this is the most confident they’ve been in this group during Burrow’s career, that is actually false — barely.Coming off the 2022 offseason when the team signed Ted Karras, Alex Cappa and La’el Collins in free agency, fans were overwhelmingly confident that group was fixed. Largely, it was, until injuries hit in the postseason that year with Collins and Cappa, specifically, going down and hurting the execution.Still, despite what some national analytics and rankings have suggested in recent weeks, there’s a significant amount of confidence the Bengals are in a great place when it comes to protecting Burrow. They are specifically in a far better place than the previous three cycles.Not much changed here year over year. People love Ja'Marr Chase. That has not wavered as the runaway winner. Tee Higgins has never been more popular with fans, thriving after his contract battle with the team in 2024 that turned many off.The rest involves parsing through much smaller trends. Karras, who could have a bright future in whatever public path he would like in Cincinnati after he retires, still ranks third behind the star receivers.Newcomers Joe Flacco and Dexter Lawrence drew early interest after being acquired in trades over the last year. Few endeared themselves quicker to the city than Flacco and his solo meal adventures connecting with dads everywhere.I’m a little surprised at the downturn and lack of love for Chase Brown, who is a likeable, productive and exciting running back. Granted, competing with the big names on offense is a challenge, but there’s a disconnect that doesn’t compute for me.Love that Amarius Mims is starting to show up, and if he puts together a big year and makes the Pro Bowl, I could see him taking a bigger chunk out of the offensive pie for a long time.Feel the love for Bryan Cook. Burrow shouted Cook out directly, and he has not been alone. He’s been viewed as an instant upgrade off the field and projects to be equally significant on it.I have to think this is partially love for the hometown kid and also residual frustration over the play of Geno Stone, whom fans held a unique disdain for during his time in Cincinnati.Well, well, well, you don’t say. Bengals fans are crashing out over the linebacker situation. Understandable. The worst individual group on one of the worst defenses in franchise history received zero notable additions.