Bengals' 0-2 start makes them a long shot to earn No. 1 seed
By now, we've all heard the recent numbers when it comes to 0-2 teams making the playoffs and it isn't pretty. The Cincinnati Bengals only have themselves to blame for being 0-2 after playing in the Super Bowl just seven months ago. A 2-0 start was there for the taking but the slow start from the offense proved too much to overcome in both losses.
Unfortunately, while the season is still young, the Bengals' chances at securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC this season are quite low. According to FanDuel, Cincinnati holds +2900 odds to be the top seed in the conference when the regular season has concluded.
The top odds are obviously the Bills (+145) and Chiefs (+280) and then after those two, there's a huge drop. The Dolphins are third in line with +900 odds, the Ravens and Chargers each hold +1100 odds, and then there's the Broncos with +1300 odds. This means that while the Bengals have the seventh-best odds to host the AFC title game, they're still considered long shots to actually do so.
Bengals' chances of hosting the AFC Championship Game are weak
Cincinnati has the best odds of the winless AFC teams to be the No. 1 seed but that's about where the praises need to stop. Buffalo, Kansas City, and Miami are all undefeated entering Week 3, so it makes sense to see them as the top three, even if the 'Fins are a distant third.
Baltimore, Los Angeles, and Denver -- the other teams ahead of Cincinnati in the odds -- have all gone 1-1. The Ravens should have been 2-0 and had they taken down Miami, would have likely been in that three spot instead of the Dolphins.
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The Bengals can still absolutely make the playoffs but as far as earning the top seed is concerned, they'll have to play a near-perfect season from here on out to make sure that happens. It's not a realistic scenario for the reigning AFC champs.