Will the Bengals make the playoffs after an 0-2 start?

After an incredible run to the Super Bowl last season, the Cincinnati Bengals are now facing an 0-2 record after losing to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2.

It’s still very early for this NFL season, but with Sunday's loss, the Bengals are now looking to do something that many teams in the league have not done since 1990 after starting 0-2 in making the playoffs.

Here are some of the stats from CBS on those teams:

“Of the 265 teams that have started 0-2 since 1990, only 30 of them (11.3%) have rebounded to make the playoffs. Of those 265 teams, only three of them (1.1%) went on to win the Super Bowl (1993 Cowboys, 2001 Patriots, 2007 Giants).”

CBS also notes that if you dig into more recent stats, over the last three seasons and the 40 teams to make the playoffs, none of them have started off 0-2.

It’s now an uphill battle for the Bengals with history not on their side. Still, you have to feel like this team has the talent to make a run for it once again, but several areas must be cleaned up for this to be possible.

Most importantly, the offensive line has to get worked out.

It sounds like a broken record at this point, but the play of the front five on offense has to be better, especially with much the Bengals focused on upgrading that unit during the offseason. However, there is some chemistry building that goes alongside these players playing together for the first time, which didn’t happen much in training camp or the preseason.

So, do you think the Bengals will make the playoffs this season? Let us know in the poll and comments below!

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