The Cincinnati Bengals have had arguably their best start to a season in years, as they are 2-0, with an elite offense, an elite defense, and look like a serious contender. Zac Taylor's usual slow start is a thing of the past, and Cincinnati is now a name feared around the NFL.
In Week 1, the Bengals beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, forcing four turnovers and scoring 33 points. They then went to Houston and beat the fancied Texans 20-6, not even allowing a touchdown. Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase look as good as ever, and this defense, led by Dexter Lawrence, is the real deal.
The Bengals head to play division rivals Pittsburgh over the weekend, a favourable matchup which could send them to 3-0.
NFL Supercomputer predicts the Bengals to win the AFC
Before the season, we ran an article about how the Opta Supercomputer simulation said the Bengals were the second-most likely team to win the AFC, behind the New England Patriots. It also favoured the Bengals in the AFC North, and gave them comfortable odds to reach the postseason.
After two weeks, the Supercomputer is even more bullish on Cincinnati. According to Opta Analyst, the Supercomputer has the Bengals as the most likely team to win the AFC (17.7% chance), ahead of the Patriots (11.7%), Baltimore Ravens (10.73%) and Kansas City Chiefs (10.58%).
Furthermore, the Bengals have a 52.4% chance to win the AFC North and an 82.4% chance to make the playoffs; That isn't just the best in the AFC; it is the best in the entire NFL. They are also more likely to reach the Super Bowl than any other team currently, as the Philadelphia Eagles are second at 16.08%, and the Los Angeles Rams are third at 16.03%.
In terms of winning the Super Bowl, the Bengals remain behind Philly and the Rams, but with an 8.3% chance, they are the third-most-likely team to win it all based on the current Supercomputer simulation.
Most of this optimism is down to the Bengals' favourable schedule, and the fact that they have proven they can beat tougher opponents like the Texans already. Looking down the list of games, the only potential losses I can see at the moment are the Jaguars, Ravens and Chiefs, and that seems like the worst-case scenario. Of course, we can't get ahead of ourselves, but if the Supercomputer is anything close to being right, we've got one hell of a few months ahead.
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