Stat of the Jay: Could the Bengals Set a Record For Best Point Differential For a Losing Team?

Jay Morrison | 14 Hours Ago

Bengals Cam Taylor-Britt (29) intercepts the ball and runs it back for a Bengals touchdown during their game against the Steelers at Paycor Stadium on Sunday December 1, 2024. Steelers lead the game at halftime with a score of 27-21. / Phil Didion/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI – Unless the Cincinnati Bengals win their final five games – or win four and tie one – they are going to finish with a losing record this season.

Among the 15 teams who currently have a losing record, the Bengals have the second best point differential at minus-5.

They have scored 335 points while allowing 340. The Chicago Bears at plus-1 are the only losing team with a better differential.

So it got me wondering what the best point differential in franchise history has been when the team finished below .500.

And what is the best in NFL history?

Let’s start with the Bengals.

The 1983 team that went 7-9 finished with plus-44 differential, which is the seven best since the 1970 merger among teams with a losing record.

The 1971 team is second on the list at plus-19 despite going 4-10.

That team is notable because the 1971 Bengals have the lowest winning percentage in NFL history (.286) for a team with a positive point differential.

The two other Bengals teams to finish on the positive side of the point differential but negative side of the win-loss record are:

The 2016 team had a plus-10 differential with a 6-9-1 record.

And the 1985 squad had a plus-4 differential while going 7-9.

The record for the highest point differential among teams with losing records since 1970 is +71, which the 1981 Atlanta Falcons posted while going 7-9.

All totaled, there have been 53 teams with losing records to post a positive point differential since the 1970 merger.

If you include teams that finished .500, the 1989 Bengals, who went 8-8, own the record for the highest point differential for a team with a non-winning record in the entire history of the NFL.

The 1989 Bengals team outscored its opponents by a remarkable 119 points.

Only the 1950 Philadelphia Eagles had a better point differential per game. That Eagles team went 6-6 and outscored its opponents by 113 points for an average of 9.41 points per game.

The 1989 Bengals outscored their opponents by an average of 7.43 ppg.

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