Bengals are 2nd luckiest team in NFL, according to The Action Network

Just when you thought it was safe to feel good about the Cincinnati Bengals again, The Action Network comes along and spoils the fun.

According to the site’s NFL Luck Rankings, the Bengals shouldn’t have won by as much as they did against the San Francisco 49ers. In fact, they went so far as to say that the Bengals “are on a bit of a lucky streak”.

Here’s the explanation given:

Having ended up in the top four of our weekly Bad Beats in each of their last two games. In Week 6, they were the second-most lucky team in their 17-13 win over Seattle. This past weekend, they were the fourth-most lucky team. Cincinnati’s 31-17 win over San Francisco should have been more like 37-28, suggesting the game was closer than the final scoreline.

So what does that means? The Action Network’s method is to look at actual scores compared to expected scores in those exact same situations. This isn’t just about lucky bounces. It’s more about, for instance, not scoring a touchdown on first and goal when it’s expected that you normally would.

All of this is funny because, to many fans, it felt like the Bengals actually squandered some big opportunities last game, like Irv Smith’s fumble near the goal line. Plus, quarterback Joe Burrow was playing out of his mind.

So should we believe The Action Network? Or have Burrow and the Bengals really flipped a switch? We’ll find out soon. Check out our video to learn more:

You can also listen on iTunes or using the player below: