The Cincinnati Bengals have gotten off to a very poor start in the 2023 season. They were beaten handily by the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 24-3 before losing to another AFC North rival, the Baltimore Ravens, in Week 2, 27-24.
That leaves the Bengals in a tough, but not unfamiliar spot. They are one of nine teams in the NFL that have gotten off to a 0-2 start, which normally spells doom for your playoff chances. According to Bill Barnwell of ESPN, since 2002, roughly one in every 10 teams that start 0-2 make the playoffs.
The Bengals were able to accomplish the feat last season, becoming the first team to do it since 2018. Cincinnati, along with the other 0-2 teams in the NFL, are suiting up for what is essentially a playoff game in Week 3.
They cannot afford to fall to 0-3, as teams who do that are virtually eliminated from the postseason. There have been 99 teams to start 0-3 since 2002 and only one, the Houston Texans in 2018, made the postseason. Even the expanded playoff field wouldn’t have helped much, as only one other team, the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2013, would have qualified.
Of the nine teams, as the Carolina Panthers joined the list after losing on Monday Night Football to the New Orleans Saints, Barnwell believes that the Bengals are in the best shape to turn things around. In normal circumstances, it would be hard to argue against him.
The Bengals have faced this challenge before and overcame it last season. They not only made the playoffs but advanced to the AFC Championship Game, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. They have the makings of the most explosive offense in the NFL with Joe Burrow at quarterback surrounded by running back Joe Mixon and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.
Alas, this isn’t last year’s Bengals. The team isn’t finding the same kind of success offensively as they have gotten off to painfully slow starts in each of the first two games. On top of that, Burrow re-injured the calf that sidelined him for six weeks this offseason.
If he is forced to miss games, things could get ugly in Cincinnati fast. His track record and the team’s previous experience is what led Barnwell to have them at No. 1 on this list. But, if he isn’t in the lineup, they would certainly be moved down a few spots.
