Bengals' updated 2024 playoff, Super Bowl odds revealed by ESPN

Bengals fans have been here before. The only sure things in life are death, taxes, and a Zac Taylor Bengals squad that starts the season off slowly. Yet, there is no panic inside of Bengaldom. There doesn't appear to be too much panic outside of it either.

The Bengals are still very much in the playoff hunt, per ESPN

ESPN has updated their playoff picture percentages after Week 2 of the NFL season. Seven teams make the playoffs: the four division winners and three wildcard teams. According to their projections, ESPN gives the Bengals a 43% chance of making the playoffs. 43% is low and strongly suggests that the odds are against them. However, it is the seventh-best percentage in the conference. 

There are four teams with better records than Cincinnati that are below them. One of those teams is the Bengals’ longest-standing rival, the Cleveland Browns. The others are the Dolphins, Patriots, and Raiders.

The Bengals were also given a 24% chance of winning the division, a 2% chance of earning a first-round bye and a 6% chance of making it all the way to the Super Bowl.

The angst after Cincinnati's Week 1 loss to the New England Patriots subsided with their much-improved showing against the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.

The Bengals’ 43% is the second-best percentage among the AFC North teams. ESPN gives the Steelers, Ravens, and Browns a 60%, 42%, and 38% chance of making the playoffs, respectively. These percentages almost line up seamlessly with the latest AFC North Power Rankings.

Let’s hope the Bengals prove ESPN wrong and claw their way back into the fight to earn a bye and make the Super Bowl. ESPN has them at 6% there. 

But first, keep the main thing the main thing and hope the Bengals can overcome their slow start and improve their odds of making the playoffs. That begins on Monday Night Football when they face the Washington Commanders, who ESPN gives a 21% chance of making the playoffs. That is the fourth-worst percentage for the NFC.