Bengals labeled as NFL's 'most overrated' team after slow start to 2024 season

There were some high hopes for the Cincinnati Bengals heading into the 2024 NFL season. After all, the team was just a season removed from a second consecutive AFC title game appearance, and they finished the 2023 season with a winning record (9-8) despite the fact that star quarterback Joe Burrow missed the back half of the campaign with a wrist injury.

The Bengals haven't lived up to expectations in 2024

With Burrow back healthy and a solid supporting cast around him, many thought that the Bengals would be in prime position to jump right back into the contender conversation. However, they haven't looked anything like a contender early on. In fact, they've looked like the opposite.

The Bengals dropped the first game of the season to the New England Patriots despite being heavy favorites in the contest. They followed that up with a better performance against the defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, but they still lost. In Week 3 they were toppled by the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football.

Considering their underwhelming start to the season, it's no surprise that the Bengals were recently labeled as the "most overrated" team in the NFL by Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated. The Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars are the only other winless team in the NFL at this point, and neither of those teams had the hype or expectations that the Bengals did coming into the season.

From Manzano:

"The Bengals will be in the playoff mix most seasons as long as they have Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, who needs a contract extension. But they’re far from being legitimate Super Bowl contenders and haven’t appeared that way since the 2022 season.  

"Hopefully, we can stop giving the Bengals the benefit of the doubt for beating the Chiefs once, because this year’s squad has a laundry list of issues. If they’re going to climb out of this hole, Cincinnati needs to run the ball better and improve a defensive unit that has struggled for more than a season."

It's fair to label the Bengals as overrated at this point in the season, as they certainly haven't lived up to the hype so far despite the collective talent on the roster. But, the season doesn't end after three weeks. The Bengals still have 14 games on their schedule, which is ample opportunity to turn things around.

The team is talented enough to be in the playoff picture in the AFC, but they need to start stacking some wins, beginning with their Week 4 matchup with the Carolina Panthers. Otherwise, that overrated label is going to stick.