Bengals face long odds to reach playoffs
CINCINNATI — The 50th season in Bengals history started with banners and on-field honors for some of the franchise's greatest players. It's quickly turned into a reminder that the last half of their history has been more frustrating than anything else.
The Bengals remain winless after the Green Bay Packers rallied for a 27-24 overtime victory at Lambeau Field on Sunday. They're 0-3 for the 14th time in franchise history, leaving them with long odds of ending their most stubbornly enduring streak.
Cincinnati hasn't won a playoff game since the 1990 season, the sixth-longest stretch of postseason futility in league history.
No NFL team has lost its first three games and reached the playoffs since the 1998 Buffalo Bills. The Bengals have never finished with a winning record after losing their first three games. The best they could muster were 8-8 finishes in 1984 and in 2003, Marvin Lewis' first season as head coach.
Lewis is in the final year of his contract, so this 0-3 carries a lot more weight. There's a chance to stop the tailspin next week at Cleveland also 0-3 before a home game against Buffalo (2-1) and a bye week.
The offense in Green Bay was better under new coordinator Bill Lazor, who took over for the fired Ken Zampese after a 13-9 loss to Houston. A.J. Green caught 10 passes for 111 yards and his first touchdown after getting 10 catches in the first two games combined.
The Bengals scored a touchdown on their first possession, ending a drought of 25 series without getting into the end zone. But they managed only three points in the second half, a familiar problem from last season when they'd have fast starts and accomplish little after halftime.
"Everything is a process," said Green, who had openly lobbied to get more passes after the 0-2 start. "I feel like we took a step forward."
Dak Prescott threw two touchdown passes and flipped head over heels into the end zone on a 10-yard run for another and Dallas (2-1) pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat host Arizona (1-2). Prescott, 13 of 18 for 183 yards, broke a 14-14 tie with a 37-yard scoring pass to Brice Butler with 11:52 to play. Arizona, with a spectacular catch by Larry Fitzgerald for 24 yards on a third-and-18 play, moved downfield but the drive stalled. Phil Dawson's 37-yard field goal cut the lead to 21-17 with 6:35 left. The Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott was bottled up much of the game, but still gained 80 yards on 22 attempts, 30 on one play. He ran 8 yards for the final Cowboys touchdown.
Injuries
• Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles suffered a torn knee ligament and a broken wrist on the same play in Sunday's 27-24 win over the New York Giants and will miss the rest of the season. Coach Doug Pederson confirmed the injuries Monday, saying it's a "devastating" loss. Sproles has nine returns for touchdowns in his career, including seven on punts.
• Chicago Bears safety Quintin Demps suffered a broken arm in the 23- 17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers and will be out an indefinite period.