He also said Cincinnati will be a “formidable opponent” if it makes the playoffs.
The Cincinnati Bengals (4-7) are three games below .500.
But when ESPN NFL analyst and insider Dan Graziano was asked which team with a losing record has the best shot of turning it around and making the playoffs, he picked the Bengals, even though he “[doesn’t] think they can get there anymore”.
Here is what he wrote about the Bengals’ chances:
If things fall apart for some of the teams on the back end of the AFC race and Cincinnati runs the table to sneak in, it is going to be a formidable opponent because it has a championship-caliber offense. (And if the Bengals do run the table, I have to assume that means the defense is playing better).
In other words, with things as they are, it’s unlikely the Bengals will even make the playoffs. But if they do, Graziano thinks they’ll be one of the more dangerous teams in the postseason.
And that’s almost entirely due to an offense that is cooking with Joe Burrow at quarterback and Ja’Marr Chase playing out of this world at receiver. Those two are doing all they can to elevate the team, but it just hasn’t been enough.
We talked about their frustration in the video below.
You can also listen on iTunes or using the player below.