The Cincinnati Bengals are off to an 0-2 start to the season after last year’s Super Bowl run and history strongly suggests there won’t be a repeat performance in 2022.
Evidence abounds. Teams that have started 0-2 in an NFL season since the merger in 1970 have made the playoffs just 9.5 percent of the time.
According to Sporting News’ Edward Sutelan, entering Week 2, 400 teams over that timeframe have started 0-2, with only 38 making the postseason.
No teams have started 0-2 and made the playoffs since 2018 (both lost in the opening round) and since, only two of those teams have even posted a winning record.
That’s a long way of saying the Bengals have a steep, steep uphill climb from here.
The fact the NFL plays 17 games now changes things up a bit. And the AFC North itself could be winnable enough that the 0-2 start isn’t that big of a deal.
Those factors, and the idea the Bengals still look like they’re playing preseason ball, could be enough to help them trump this history. But they’re running out of time, especially after dropping two games to inferior opponents with another on deck for Week 3 (Jets).
