The Curse: One of just three franchises with three-plus Super Bowl appearances and zero wins, the Bengals lost seven consecutive playoff games between 2005 and 2015. Frequent victims of heartbreak defeats, they’ve more recently fallen on their face three years in a row despite considerable core talent.
The Number(s): Their three Super Bowl losses have come by a total of 12 points.
Light at the End of the Tunnel: This very core won five playoff games in 2021 and 2022 combined and certainly has the ability to make a championship run if the key guys can stay healthy in 2026.
The Reality Check: A team that has gone just 24-27 the last three seasons may have peaked with that 2021 Super Bowl run. The defense is still a huge liability, and contending again could require a considerable shakeup in the 2027 offseason.