Cincinnati Bengals Will Try to End Unique, League-Wide Losing Streak That is Unbelievably Long

CINCINNATI – Not all losses are equal, and the ones decided by a single point are among the toughest to digest, as the Cincinnati Bengals are understanding this week.

They’re the type of losses than can light a fire, or drench desire.

In an incredible recent trend in the NFL, it’s been the later.

The Bengals are the 11th team to lose a game by a single point this year.

Each of the last eight went on to lose again the following week.

The outlier was the Baltimore Ravens, who fell 41-40 to the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 and then rebounded to beat the Cleveland Browns 41-17 the following Sunday.

However, the Browns also were coming off a one-point loss to the Bengals, and someone had to win.

So it doesn’t make sense to count the Browns’ or Ravens’ one-point losses in Week 1 in the streak.

If you take that game out of the mix, the run of futility extends back to November of last year and has the team coming off a one-point losing 15 in a row the following week.

The streak of 14 in a row began with the Bengals, when they lost to the Ravens 35-34 in Week 10 and followed that with a 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers the final Sunday.

How is a 0-14 streak real?

And how much should you wager on the Chicago Bears on Sunday because of it?

The Bengals actually have their own personal losing streak in these spots, although it’s not quite as long.

Earlier in 2024, the Bengals lost a 26-25 road decision against the Kansas City Chiefs and followed that with a 38-33 home defeat against the Washington Commanders.

Before that you have to go back to the first game of the Zac Taylor era, when the Bengals fell 21-20 at Seattle in the 2019 opener.

They came home and lost 41-17 to the San Francisco 49ers.

In 2016, the Bengals dropped a 21-20 game at home to the New York Giants and then fell 16-12 at home to Bills.

The last time Cincinnati rebounded from a one-point loss to win the following game was 2012, when they followed a 20-19 home loss to the Cowboys with a 34-13 road win against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football.

The Bengals are 3-9 after one-point losses since 1991.

They are 7-11 overall, not counting a 1-1 record in the 1987 strike season in games involving replacement players.

Here is the full list of 15 consecutive losses following one-point defeats:

2025

Giants – 33-32 loss to Broncos; 38-20 loss to Eagles

Commanders – 25-24 loss to Bears; 44-22 loss to Cowboys

Cardinals – 22-21 loss to Titans; 31-27 loss to Colts

Raiders – 25-24 loss to Bears; 40-6 loss to Colts

Cardinals – 16-15 loss to 49ers; 23-20 loss to Seahawks

Texans – 20-19 loss to Buccaneers; 17-10 loss to Jaguars

Broncos – 29-28 loss to Colts; 23-20 loss to Chargers

2024

Saints – 20-19 loss to Commanders; 34-0 loss to the Packers

Cardinals – 23-22 loss to Vikings; 30-18 loss to the Seahawks

Patriots – 25-24 loss to Colts; 30-17 loss to the Cardinals

Bears – 20-19 loss to Packers; 30-27 loss to the Vikings in OT

Jets – 28-27 loss to Colts; 26-21 loss to the Seahawks

Commanders – 28-27 loss to Steelers; 26-18 loss to Eagles

Bengals – 35-34 loss to Ravens; 34-27 loss to Chargers