The Cincinnati Bengals have been their own kryptonite early in the regular season over the last few years. The Bengals have gone 0-2 or 0-3 to start the regular season each of the last three years. They got away with it in 2022, starting 0-2 and then making the AFC championship game, but have since failed to make the playoffs each of the last two seasons in part because of those slow starts.
Last season in particular was when their slow start caught up to them. The Bengals started 0-3, including a detrimental loss to the New England Patriots in Week 1. Though Cincinnati became one of the hottest teams in the NFL by the end of the season, especially on offense, they weren't able to overcome their early season woes to make the postseason.
