14. Cincinnati Bengals (2-2)
What do we do with the Cincinnati Bengals? This team looked quite good across the first two weeks of the season, but after two losses in a row, Cincy is now 2-2 and just do not feel like a threatening team right now. Joe Burrow also struggled a bit in this one. He ended up attempting a whopping 54 passes but did throw two interceptions, including one in the red zone, which is less than ideal.
When the Bengals drop a game like this against another formidable team, it always kind of feels like they’re at a coaching disadvantage, which continues to be part of the problem. Zac Taylor is fine, yes, but when has he ever established himself as anything more than an average head coach in this league?
Maybe I’m reaching here, but that’s the feeling I typically get in a game like this. On the bright side, I am not sure there is a single team in the AFC that feels like a genuine contender from top to bottom, so the Bengals aren’t out in ‘la-la land’ or anything. Now sitting at 2-2, they do have some winnable games coming up over the next handful of weeks against teams like Miami, Tennessee, and Atlanta, so they could go on a little bit of a run here.
13. New England Patriots (2-2)
How about the New England Patriots? This was a massive, absolutely massive win for the franchise, as even at 1-2, things felt out of control a bit. QB Drake Maye has largely been bad this year, he went toe-to-toe with Josh Allen in his house, which is saying something.
Yes, Maye turned it over again, but he also threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns, out-dueling Allen. The Patriots now move to 2-2 on the season and are suddenly very much alive in the AFC, let alone just the AFC East.
The way this game went is honestly a classic Mike Vrabel coaching masterclass - for years when he was with Tennessee, Vrabel constantly got a ton out of some banged-up teams and rosters that weren’t that great.
The Patriots are dealing with some injuries, but clearly that didn’t matter. Good for the Patriots - this was a major win for the season.
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