Bengals' new reality reflected in latest NFL power rankings
Had a handful of close calls and plays gone the other way on Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals may be sitting 1-1 and tied atop the AFC North with every other divisional team. Instead, they're 0-2 and underneath all of their closest rivals.Naturally, the latest power rankings are going to reflect what is, not what could […]
Had a handful of close calls and plays gone the other way on Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals may be sitting 1-1 and tied atop the AFC North with every other divisional team. Instead, they're 0-2 and underneath all of their closest rivals.
Naturally, the latest power rankings are going to reflect what is, not what could have been.
The Bengals are finding themselves below the midpoint of most power rankings entering Week 3. ESPN dropped them from 13 to 18, CBS Sports moved them from 13 to 21, and The Athletic pushed them down from 21 to 22.
It's not just the 0-2 record that has doubt at the forefront, the Bengals have simply not played good through two weeks. They rank 26th in Expected Points Added per play on offense and 22nd in Expected Points Added allowed per play on defense.
The Bengals started poorly last year as well, but the tweaked calf of Joe Burrow makes this year's iteration much bleaker in comparison.
"What’s worse than Joe Burrow ranking 29th in the league in EPA per pass attempt (minus-.13)? Joe Burrow sitting on the sideline during the game using a muscle massager on his calf, which he “tweaked” late in the game. The Bengals’ 212 yards per game rank last in the league. Cincinnati bucked the 0-2 start trend last season by making the playoffs despite a slow start, but that’s a tough way to live." – The Athletic's Josh Kendall on the Bengals
No stats, position groups, or other injuries matter more than the status of Burrow's calf. If there's any concern that it will hinder him for the remainder of the season, the outlook for the Bengals will be gloomy.
Both winning and Burrow making it out of games okay is the only way for the Bengals to make it back to the top of the NFL's hierarchy.
Ja’Marr Chase wishes Bengals would’ve taken his advice on Joe Burrow’s injury
Chase’s original comments hold much more weight following Cincinnati’s 0-2 start.
Featured image via © Cara Owsley/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
