It's not all doom-and-gloom for Bengals after 0-3 start

The Cincinnati Bengals are 0-3 for the first time since 2019, meaning it's the first time a Joe Burrow-led Bengals squad has started the season with an 0-3 mark. It's going to be tough to climb out of the hole the Bengals have dug themselves into, but hope is not lost yet.

Joe Burrow commented that the team isn't out of it yet and that's the right kind of attitude fans want the quarterback of their favorite team to have. Even with an 0-3 start to the season, the Bengals' chances of reaching the playoffs are still attainable, thanks to their easy schedule.

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Ben Baby noted on X that "the Bengals have a 36.4% chance of making the playoffs" and points out that they have the fourth-easiest remaining schedule in the NFL. These are certainly things to keep in mind when discussing the Bengals' potential playoff odds.

Bengals playoff odds are still promising despite 0-3 start

The Bengals have the 16th-best playoff odds, according to ESPN's projections, which is pretty astounding for a team that's 0-3. The other 0-3 teams' playoff odds sit at 13.4% (Jaguars) and 10.1% (Titans), so that shows Cincinnati is still getting a ton of credit for the talent on the roster. There are even two teams with 2-1 records with worse odds to make the postseason than the Bengals so hope isn't lost yet for this group.

Unfortunately, we also have to look at the realistic side of things and that's how the Bengals have been playing to this point. This squad is 0-3 for a reason and the big reason is their defense. Cincinnati's defense couldn't stop the Commanders once during the Monday night showdown and failed to force a turnover, meaning Washington was getting points on every single drive.

If the Bengals want to make the playoffs, their defense has to figure it out ASAP. If they lose to the Panthers in Week 4, those playoff odds are going to dip drastically. The Bengals' easy schedule also hasn't helped them to this point, as they lost to the Patriots and Commanders in these first three weeks.

Next up is the Panthers, who a week ago looked like they'd be easy to beat but after seeing what former Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton did to the Raiders in Week 3, Bengals fans might be a bit worried now.