Too late to save the Super Bowl odds?
The 2023 NFL season is only two weeks old, but three teams that were top ten in Super Bowl odds – the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and Los Angeles Chargers – already look as if their seasons could be over.
entering a must-win game in Week 3
The Bengals are the biggest shock of the bunch as they were top five in preseason Super Bowl odds. But they, along with the Chargers, are now 0-2 and are entering a must-win game in Week 3.
So can any of these teams save their season, or do they need to accept that their Super Bowl window has already closed? Let’s take a deeper look.
Super Bowl odds shakeup
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals went to the AFC Championship Game in each of the last two seasons and made a Super Bowl two years ago. Although the oddsmakers positioned the Buffalo Bills ahead of them, they were widely viewed as the top challenger to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC.
The Bengals’ ambitions were thrown for a loop when Joe Burrow strained his calf during training camp, but rather than give him the proper time off to rest and recover, they tossed him into action in the team’s first two games of the season against tough divisional opponents.
only been one team in NFL history that started 0-3 and still made the playoffs
Needless to say, that decision has come back to haunt Cincy’s decision makers, as they are now 0-2 and Burrow has aggravated his injury. It now looks like he’ll miss a couple of weeks, which is significant since there’s only been one team in NFL history that started 0-3 and still made the playoffs (the 2018 Houston Texans).
Last year’s AFC runners-up have dropped from about +1000 preseason Super Bowl odds to +2000. That figure still represents the eighth-shortest odds in the league, but they’re now in a tier of contenders that includes teams such as the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns.?
If Burrow is going to miss extended time, the Bengals’ chances of making the playoffs, much less winning the Super Bowl, are effectively zero. That’s a steep price to pay for being too eager and letting him run out in Week 1, but it’s reality.
New York Jets
The Aaron Rodgers era with the New York Jets lasted four snaps before it came to a crushing end. Rodgers hopes that his torn Achilles will be repaired and he’ll be ready in time for the playoffs, but there’s next to no chance that happens.
Even if Rodgers defies all modern medical expectations and readies himself in a third of a year, the chances that his Jets are still alive is very low. That’s because, despite a totally unexpected win on Monday Night Football in Week 1, they still have Zach Wilson under center.
12/27 for 170 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions
Wilson, in three years as a pro, has a completion percentage of 55.1%. and has thrown 17 touchdowns to 22 interceptions. His latest effort against the Dallas Cowboys saw him go 12/27 for 170 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions.
The Jets’ odds in every futures market plummeted the moment Rodgers went down to the turf. As it stands, the Jets have moved from +1600 to +7000 to hoist the Lombardi Trophy and are -600 to miss the playoffs.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers bowed out of last year’s postseason in memorable fashion by blowing a 27-0 lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars. They entered the new year with a renewed spirit, an even stronger roster, and a clean bill of health.
Despite ranking fourth in yards gained and sixth in points scored, LA is now 0-2 and staring down the barrel of the damning 0-3 start.
they just cannot win the important games when it matters the most
The Chargers have dealt with all sorts of problems in recent years, whether it be coaching gaffes, poor decision making, or injuries, but the recurring theme is that they just cannot win the important games when it matters the most.
The Bolts have a chance to get their season back on track in Week 3 when they take on a Minnesota Vikings team that is playing excellent offense. They have +3000 Super Bowl odds entering the matchup, down from the +2300 they started the year with.
