Bengals' Upcoming 3-Game Stretch True Indicator of Team's Potential in 2015

The Cincinnati Bengals stand as one of the NFL's hottest teams after another 3-0 start, but it's still too early to make any bold statements with a brutal three-game stretch staring the team in the face. 

As any good team should, the Bengals have taken care of business. Wins against the Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Ravens speak volumes to the team's ability, but this early on, those teams could end up as .500 clubs at best.

So while a win in Oakland was impressive given the historical struggles Cincinnati faced there, the Raiders are still very much the Raiders, albeit improving. Dismissing San Diego looked great, but the Chargers are a one-win team that just got whipped 31-14 in Minnesota by old friend Mike Zimmer and Co.

And while going to Baltimore and getting two elite, composed plays in the face of adversity from quarterback Andy Dalton is exactly what the globe needed to see from the Bengals, the Ravens have a hobbled offensive line, no Terrell Suggs and sit in an 0-3 hole, even losing to the Raiders.

Again, what Cincinnati has done so far is very impressive, but more telling will be the next three contests ahead of the team's Week 7 bye:

WK	DATE	OPPONENT
4	Sun., Oct. 4	vs. Kansas City
5	Sun., Oct. 11	vs. Seattle
6	Sun., Oct. 18	at Buffalo

Unlike Cincinnati's first three opponents, the next three have a combination of either a top-tier running back who can control games on his own or an elite defense. All have talented skill positions and capable quarterbacks, like Cincinnati's first three opponents.

Look at the Kansas City Chiefs. Andy Reid's team has struggled on defense in a big way this year, allowing 20 or more points in each contest. But the team's two losses came at the hands of the Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers. Alex Smith has a three-touchdown performance to his name already, and Jamaal Charles might be the best multifaceted back in the league.

OPP	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
at HOU	16	57	3.6	0
vs. DEN	21	125	6.0	1
at GB	11	49	4.5	3

The Chiefs figure to use Charles at a high pitch count in Week 4, which could spell serious trouble for the Bengals given the talented runner's numbers to date.

Then there's Seattle, which doesn't need much of an explanation. The Seahawks have two losses, one a gritty divisional duel against the St. Louis Rams and another at the hands of Green Bay. But Marshawn Lynch can bulldoze any defense when 100 percent healthy, and the talent of the defense speaks for itself.

Finally, Buffalo is far from the same team the Bengals needed overtime to beat in 2013. The Bills' lone loss under new coach Rex Ryan came against the New England Patriots.

Tyrod Taylor might be the most dangerous quarterback in the league right now—he's completing 74.4 percent of his passes with seven scores and three picks to go with one rushing touchdown.

Of course, Cincinnati can beat all of these teams. This isn't to suggest the Bengals can't. But think back to last year, when the Bengals started 3-0 by going to Baltimore and getting a win, then taking down game Atlanta and Tennessee squads.

The Bengals followed with two losses and a tie over their next three.

"I still remember last year," tackle Andrew Whitworth said, per ESPN.com's John Clayton. "We got off to a 3-0 start and we were playing a New England team that everyone was writing off because of their start. We get beat big [43-17]. But this is different than last year."

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

In fact, the Bengals needed another game against Baltimore followed by a cupcake against the Jacksonville Jaguars to get back on track. This time around, the underestimated team is Kansas City, and there's no relief against a should-beat opponent, but equally competent Seattle and Buffalo teams before the bye.

If this really is different than last year—if the Bengals want to be considered AFC contenders, surefire locks to finally get a postseason win, stay among the top five in power rankings, the works—the team has to show the late maturity and execution in Baltimore wasn't a fluke against a mediocre team.

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

In the grand scheme of things, cautious optimism has always been the best route with a team like the Bengals. Arguably no team in the league drafts better, but the execution when the team needed it most hasn't been there over the years, especially with national attention breathing down the team's collective neck.

Said national attention has returned thanks to the strong start. The "is this the year?" questions have returned. It's almost as if the schedule-makers anticipated this, crafting a true three-week test for the young, upstart Bengals.

If things are different and this is the year, Dalton and the Bengals will show it over the course of the next three weeks.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of September 30. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.