How important is this weekend’s showdown with the Arizona Cardinals for the Cincinnati Bengals?
Most would agree that with the Bengals at 1-3, the game is a must-win or the season is lost, especially after dropping three games in the AFC, two of those in the AFC North.
But we don’t have to rely on generalizations because the numbers are right there — and concerning.
According to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, just 6.1 percent of teams to start 1-4 since 1970 have made the playoffs.
These Bengals are in a pretty unique spot after rattling off 10 wins in a row last year and anything is possible if Joe Burrow gets back to 100 percent.
But it’s especially concerning because this stretch before the Week 7 bye after the two divisional games to start the season looked like the easiest part of the schedule. After that bye they get San Francisco, Buffalo, Kansas City and four AFC North games as notables.
So the numbers and schedule say it too — the Bengals can’t lose this weekend.
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