The Cincinnati Bengals are having a rough 2024-25 season despite boasting one of the most talented rosters in the NFL.
At 4-7 and sitting third in the AFC North division, the team is entering a critical stretch of its schedule if it wants to make a miracle playoff push.
Any other team in this situation would've been written off as mock-draft watchers but if the ball had bounced a different way just a couple times, Cincinnati's record would look a lot different.
According to Kelly Ford Ratings, if all of the Bengals' losses by one score were flipped then the team would actually top the AFC at 9-2.
It seems unbelievable but one stat posted by quarterback Joe Burrow proves the team is worthy of still being considered contenders.
Per CBS Sports, it's only happened 14 times where an NFL quarterback threw for 25+ touchdowns and less than five interceptions through the first 11 games of a season — Burrow is one of those (27 TDs, four INTs).
Unfortunately, he separates himself from that group as being the only passer with a losing record after doing so.
Out of the other 12 instances (Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson achieved the feat this season too but has a winning record), there have been five where the quarterback either reached or won the Super Bowl.
That list includes: Tom Brady (2007, 2016, 2017), Carson Wentz (2017) and Patrick Mahomes (2020).
Additionally, all 12 times a quarterback hit that mark, he led his team to the playoffs that season.
Combined with how tight Cincinnati has played its games this year, Burrow and Co. are simply a good break away from becoming a playoff team — and a dangerous one at that.
