As we’ve noted, the Cincinnati Bengals have dug themselves a historically-impossible hole with the 0-2 start.
But of the five teams in the NFL with an 0-2 record heading into Week 3, the Bengals have the best shot at actually trumping that putrid history and surging to the playoffs.
For context, the other 0-2 teams:
- Titans
- Raiders
- Panthers
- Falcons
For starters, there is one big thing the Bengals have that those other teams don’t — Joe Burrow. He has had major issues over the first two games, but that wasn’t exactly a surprise after that early-training camp surgery and his offensive line’s lack of chemistry.
Despite the struggles, Burrow has still been elite when firing the ball off quickly. Provided Zac Taylor can mix things up so the offense isn’t so predictable, the Bengals are now past two of the best pass-rushes they’ll see all year — the Steelers and Cowboys.
Keep in mind the Bengals beat those Steelers and this isn’t even a conversation if long-snapper Clark Harris doesn’t get hurt in Week 1.
In fact, this whole ordeal is very reminiscent of last year, when Burrow and the offense started horribly so. Difference is, the breaks didn’t go their way this time. On paper, the offense should rebound just fine in Week 3.
Fans know the deal with those other teams. The Titans are a rush-first offense in a tough division with major losses to the offensive line. The Raiders play in the toughest division in football. The Panthers and Falcons are major rebuilders.
With the AFC North taking major losses in Week 2 and plenty of reason to believe the Bengals can reverse some of these early trends, they’re easily the 0-2 team with the best chance of making the playoffs.
