NFL Power Rankings, Week 3: Cowboys, Ravens silence critics, Saints lose Brees

27. Cincinnati Bengals (22)

The Cincinnati Bengals lost a heart-breaking game in Week 1 on the road against the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 21-20. As frustrating as that was, they had to feel good about the way they played overall, especially on offense. Their passing game was good even without A.J. Green with John Ross really excelling by pulling in three touchdowns.

With that being the case, there were plenty of reasons to think they could get themselves a win at home against the San Francisco 49ers. It didn’t take long for that hope to be snuffed out though. Cincinnati was nowhere near as efficient as their running game never got rolling. They also had less effectiveness out of their receivers in this game.

Still, the worst part of this contest was how their defense was just rolled over. They gave up more than 40 points to the 49ers and it was never really a contest. They went into the half 24-10 but even then, it felt like a much bigger deficit they were facing.

Now at 0-2, the team is in danger of falling apart and players such as quarterback Andy Dalton might be facing scrutiny as the long-term answer under center. Their next game against Buffalo suddenly looms large.