Bengals Firmly in AFC Playoff Race Despite Slow Start

CINCINNATI — The Bengals caught a break with the Steelers 26-22 win over Cleveland on Monday night. The result means just Baltimore and Miami are 2-0 in the AFC, leaving Cincinnati within a game or tied alongside the 14 other teams.

Historically, an 0-2 start leaves teams with roughly a 10% chance to make the playoffs and the 2022 Bengals are the only team to pull it off since the playoffs expanded to seven teams.

It's going to take some help to win the division like last season. That Bengals team won a franchise-record 10 games in a row and got aided by a season-ending injury to Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson. But it's still in the cards with three winnable games on deck v. the Rams, at the Titans, and at the Cardinals.

Get to 3-2 and you're right back in it with two tough NFC West games following that three-game run (v. Seahawks, bye, at 49ers).

Team Rankings gives Cincinnati by far the best chance of any 0-2 AFC team to make the playoffs (37.3% chance, next closest is L.A. at 32.7% and New England at 17.1%). They've been here before and come through. One week at a time, one win at a time Cincinnati can get back in the playoff field, and then hunt down Baltimore.

Winning the AFC North a third straight time is far from likely right now (9.6% chance), but Joe Burrow & Co. have pulled off crazier feats this decade.

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