After a quarter of the season, the NFL has six undefeated teams, and while most of these teams look playoff bound, two teams in particular stand out. The Cincinnati Bengals look like a team destined for the playoffs, but in reality they are more pretenders this season than contenders. On the other side, many didn't expect the Atlanta Falcons to be a playoff team after going 6-10 last season, but they should be consider contenders instead of pretenders.
The Bengals will likely make the playoffs this season, but their success could come on default. The Bengals are undefeated after four games, and they have had some notable wins against the San Diego Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens. But none of the teams the Bengals have played this season currently have a winning record. Andy Dalton may be having his most productive season as the Bengals starting quarterback, but with Dalton, people can't read too much into the regular season.
Dalton has thrown for 1,187 yards with nine touchdowns and only one interception. The Bengals are loaded with talent on offense, as they have two solid running backs in Jeremy Hill and Giovanni Bernard. On top of their running game, they likely have one of the best weapons in the game in A.J. Green, who has 417 receiving yards with three touchdowns this season.
While the Bengals are producing on the field and look great on paper, they have consistently disappeared in the playoffs. The Bengals are likely to win the AFC North, but that may not be because they are the clear best team in the division. The Steelers were likely to be the biggest challenge for the Bengals, but with Ben Roethlisberger spraining his MCL, and the Baltimore Ravens looking decimated at the receiver position, the AFC North seemed to just open up.
Dalton has gone to the playoffs four times and has lost every time in his first game. He has thrown one postseason touchdown to six interceptions, and until he can show he can win a game in the playoffs, the Bengals remain a pretender.
Many could say the same about Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan's postseason record, as he is 1-4 since being drafted by Atlanta. The difference is how Ryan performed in those games, because he has thrown nine postseason touchdowns to seven interceptions. While those numbers are not the greatest, they are clearly better than Dalton's numbers, and Ryan has at least shown he can get a win in the playoffs.
The Falcons will likely have a tougher challenge making the playoffs with the undefeated Carolina Panthers in their division, but teams that seem to have to fight to make the playoffs tend to perform better in the postseason.
The Falcons have a ton of talent on offense, and arguably have the best wide receiver in the league in Julio Jones. Jones has 478 receiving yards with four touchdowns, and is averaging 119.5 receiving yards per game. While Jones is having and amazing year, second year running back Devonta Freeman has taken the league by storm this season.
Freeman has rushed for 252 yards this season and has already scored seven touchdowns. The emergence of Freeman makes the Falcons a legitimate threat in the post season, as running the ball is crucial in the playoffs. The Falcons have scored the most rushing touchdowns in the league with nine, and if they continue to dominate the running game, they will likely be one of the favorites in the NFC.
The other very big reason the Atlanta Falcons are seen as a contender is their new head coach Dan Quinn. Quinn signed a five-year deal with Atlanta, and it looks as though he will be there for some time to come. Quinn was the defensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks during both their Super Bowl runs and was a huge reason they won the Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos. The Falcons defense was seen as one of the bottom defenses in the league coming into this season, but with Quinn, they have seemed to turn into a bend but not break defense.
The Falcons will face the Washington Redskins on Sunday, and they will look to finish the sweep of the NFC East. The Cincinnati Bengals have their toughest challenge yet, as they face the Seattle Seahawks this weekend. If the Bengals can get a win over Seattle, and Dalton puts on a good performance they could shed some of the doubters. But for Cincinnati to truly change people's minds they will have to win in the postseason. For right now, the Bengals are a pretender, and the Falcons are showing why they are a contender.
