CINCINNATI, Oh. (ABC36 NEWS NOW)- Six teams have made the NFL playoffs with an 0-3 record since the 1970s and the Cincinnati Bengals are looking to be the seventh this season. The Washington Commanders scored 38 points to keep Cincinnati winless through week three and therefore nosediving the Bengals’ chances at a playoff berth. Quarterback Joe Burrow and Head Coach Zac Taylor say that the entire team will have to hold themselves accountable for the early season slump. “We’ve got to take accountability in all areas,” said Taylor. “I knew that was a dangerous team. You have to give them a ton of credit. They dictated the flow of the game. We couldn’t do enough to make a play and create a turnover to go win the game.” “That was a tough one,” said Burrow. “We just come back to work on Wednesday and watch the tape and improve the things we can.” Play like it’s 2018 in Houston The Houston Texans are the last team to start 0-3 and make the playoffs. In 2018, the Deshaun Watson led them to win nine games in a row starting in week four. That run propelled them to a Wild Card round appearance, in which they lost at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts. Could the Bengals have a similar bounce back? There are a few reasons why. Both teams had/have Pro Bowl caliber offensive stars. Burrow and JaMarr Chase are a partnership that is similar to Watson and Deandre Hopkins. Through the first three games of the 2018 season in Houston and the 2024 season in Cincinnati, both quarterbacks have similar statistics. Burrow is averaging 250 passing yards and 1.6 touchdowns per game. Watson averaged 290 passing yards and 1.6 touchdowns per game. The 2024 Bengals have an extra regular season game and Wild Card spot. The potential for a lesser team to sneak into the final playoff spots is greater than it was in years past. Should the Bengals hit a regular season stride one more game and win could prove to be pivotal. As well as why not. Cincinnati doesn’t have a defense as good as the 2018 Texans did. Houston was led by JJ Watt, Jadeveon Clowney and Tyrann Mathieu who were a part of a defense ranked fourth in the league. Cincinnati’s is ranked 26th through three games. The Bengals have yet to play a divisional game. Cincinnati’s ability to figure things out could come in time for its AFC North schedule, but in the past five years the divisional winner has only had more than four losses once. Oddly enough, that team was the 2021 Bengals squad who lost the Super Bowl. Also, the Bengals’ division is thought of as the hardest to compete in across the NFL. Three at 0-3 Cincinnati joins Jacksonville and Tennessee as the remaining winless teams across the NFL. The Titans, led by former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, have lost to the Bears, Jets and Packers. Jacksonville’s slump continued on Monday Night Football just as the Bengals’ did. The Jaguars lost to the 3-0 Buffalo Bills. Categories: Featured, More Sports, Sports Tags: afc north, bengals, burrow, Joe Burrow, NFL, Zac Taylor